Introducing highly-specialized, trauma-informed addiction treatment— at Hazelden’s Springbrook campus
Addiction and trauma disorders are closely linked, as individuals turn to alcohol and other drugs to escape the pain of traumatic experiences. At Hazelden’s Springbrook campus—nestled in the stunning Willamette Valley just outside Portland—men and women coping with the pain of unresolved trauma benefit from more than 60 years of addiction treatment expertise along with highly-specialized, fully integrated clinical care for trauma disorders.
hazelden.org/springbrook 866-866-4662
We invite you to call us with questions. We are available 24 hours a day.
Hazelden, a national nonprofit organization founded in 1949, helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction.
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ADVERTISING
PUBLISHER Lisa Shanower ext 107 | lshanower@marinmagazine.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michele Geoffrion Johnson ext 110 | mjohnson@marinmagazine.com
Sanjay Vora: Recurring Vision June 4 - June 30, 2010
Reception: June 4, 5:30-7:30pm
Sanjay Vora, “Backyard” (fragment), mixed media on canvas, 48”x84”
GIFTS FOR DADS & GRADS IS
LOCAL ARTISANS AND PRODUCERS
Mount Tamalpais
MICHAEL SCHWAB • $300
Rose-Cut Diamond Weathered Bands
SARAH SWELL JEWELRY • $145-$418
Mini Mount Tam Pendant
STEPHAN-HILL JEWELRY DESIGNERS • $185-$635
Vintage Waxed Canvas Wine Carrier BIRDS OF SAUSALITO • $285
AFTER ONE OF THE WETTEST rainy seasons in decades, you might think now is not the time to worry about Marin’s water supply, but as Somer Flaherty reports in Think, there’s no guarantee that today’s full reservoirs can quench tomorrow’s thirst. Conservation is on the rise for now, but Marin water officials still have backup plans for erecting a costly—and controversial—desalination plant in San Rafael. Whether that plant ever gets built is up to you—and Mother Nature.
One way to save water in Marin is by getting out of town. Fly over to Italy, for example, where writer and photographer Karyn Millet tells us in Journey that the best refresher after a warm day of art and history under the Tuscan sun is still a cool, creamy cup of gelato. Or drive down the coast to Big Sur, as Mimi Towle does in Go, for a dose of vitamin V at the newly renovated Ventana Inn. Then there’s Art Spander’s advice in Life—pack your clubs and indulge in a duffer’s delight by playing all of your favorite golf holes, wherever they may be.
Also in this issue, Conversation discusses the changes in Marin’s health care landscape with Dr. Martin Brotman, president of Sutter Health’s West Bay Region; Marinterview puts the questions to Dr. Curtis Robinson of Mill Valley, president of the Marin County School Board; the worm man of Alcatraz tells us in FYI Gardens how he makes the Rock bloom; Microclimate steps offshore (just a bit) to explore the floating-home communities of Sausalito; and just in time for Father’s Day, Fashion Trends—with the help of Wayne Kaleck of Sausalito’s Gene Hiller—show us the eight steps to tie-tying success.
As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy Marin Magazine , as we continue to celebrate this extraordinary place!
Lisa Shanower, Publisher Nikki Wood, Editorial Director Jim Wood, Executive Editor
LETTERS
Readers respond
❯❯ Road Wars
WHEN IT COMES TO BIKES as transport (“Road Wars,” May), study the bikes you see in any European city; transport cycling is both safe and friendly. In Europe riders dress in normal clothes (no Lycra) and are on sit-up bikes. They bike slower and the rider, who is sitting up, sees better and makes eye contact with drivers. The result: almost no road rage, and very few crashes and injuries.
Mike Rubbo, via marinmagazine.com
NICE PIECE. My one objection is the implication in the article that all bike riders on Marin County roads are Lycra-wearing recreationists. There are also people using bicycles in Marin to reach their workplaces and other necessary destinations. Some of them are people of means who choose to ride to get exercise and reduce pollution. Others are low-income people who cannot afford a car or public transportation.
Jake W., via marinmagazine.com
❯❯ Still Singing
YOUR RECENT STORY (“Something to Sing About,” May) was a bright spot in my day. I love that people still have something to sing about! I also checked out the online version of the article and loved hearing the a cappella group’s music that you featured on your site.
Michelle Mattoon, San Anselmo
❯❯ Good Times in Tahoe
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR RECENT ARTICLE (“The Tahoe High Life,” May). Our family visits Tahoe at least once a month so it was so great to read about the events in the area!
Geoff Myers, Mill Valley
Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine , One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Or e-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.
Voting challenges
Simplifying
the June 8 ballot
DOES THE THOUGHT OF VOTING on June 8 have your head spinning? Too complicated? Too confusing? Consider, please, the problems Elaine Ginnold has already faced. As Marin’s registrar of voters, she has overseen the production of 150,000 copies of the county’s Voter Information and Sample Ballot Pamphlet. It lists the 152 candidates running for 25 national, state, county and city offices; the five statewide propositions; the six local measures; plus 12 pages of candidates’ statements and ballot measure information.
The pamphlet was printed in 24 versions that vary depending on where you live and contains sample ballots for six different political affiliations, Democrat through Decline to State. It arrived in your mail three weeks ago, complete with a personal-like note informing you when and where to vote. Then Ginnold and her staff went about mailing some 88,000 absentee ballots to voters (myself included) who would rather not, or cannot visit their polling place on June 8. Is this a great democracy or what?
Adding to the challenge, Ginnold supervised this effort while recovering from a broken leg? “It’s all been very complicated,” she says in an overwhelming understatement.
BY JIM WOOD
Let’s see if I can simplify things. For Republicans, the headliner contests are for Senate nominee—Tom Campbell vs. Chuck Devore vs. Carly Fiorina (note: I’m listing alphabetically and eliminating those without a prayer of winning). And for governor, it’s Steve Poizner vs. Meg Whitman. On the Democratic side, Barbara Boxer, now in her 18th year in the Senate (and it all started here, in Marin), faces no serious opposition for the party’s nomination and Jerry Brown is certain to be the Democratic candidate for governor.
However, San Francisco Mayor (and Redwood High alum) Gavin Newsom has a battle royal going with L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn for the Democratic party’s lieutenant governor spot.
The nonpartisan state Superintendent of Public Instruction race has 12 candidates, but the real race is basically between state Sen. Gloria Romero and Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, both former teachers and well qualified for the job. After scrutiny, I am leaning toward Torlakson—but recommend investigating this one for yourself. And don’t forget San Francisco’s Kamala Harris for state attorney general; she’s in a tight fight with formerFacebook lawyer Chris Kelly and L.A.’s DA Rocky Delgadillo.
Regarding the constitutional propositions, these are my studied conclusions.
PROP 13 – Assures that seismic retrofits will not increase your tax assessment: YES.
PROP 14 – Proposes an open primary for state/federal offices, curtails extremism: YES.
PROP 15 – Pilot program for public financing of elections. No biggie, can’t hurt: YES.
PROP 16 – Would require two-thirds vote to form local energy authority; one-third rules: NO.
PROP 17 – Auto insurance matter about paltry discounts. Excessively complicated: NO.
We’re almost done. Measures A, B and C are easy: the libraries in San Rafael, San Anselmo, Novato, Corte Madera and Fairfax, plus those in the county’s unincorporated communities, need money badly. Less than 50 bucks a year ($49 to be exact) will do it. For many in Marin, that’s the price of dinner out. Furthermore, even if you do not use it, a lively local library creates community for many and positively affects property values for all. Senior and poverty exemptions are available. Note: this is a five-year parcel tax (except in San Rafael, where it’s seven) and applies only to the cities and areas mentioned above. For everyone’s sake, vote yes.
Finally, the following nonpartisan county recommendations are based solely on candidate experience, meaning the proven performance by one contender in relation to an opponent(s).
For sheriff-coroner, incumbent Sheriff Robert Doyle over Coroner Ken Holmes.
For assessor, it’s Rich Benson over Shelly Scott and Bruce Raful (also note: Benson is endorsed by retiring Assessor Joan Thayer).
For Superior Court, incumbent Judge Paul Haakenson over Mark Barton.
In the close race for District 1 (mostly San Rafael) supervisor, incumbent Susan Adams over former Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni. Again, the difference being a more than competent performance by the incumbent while occupying the office being contested.
The above observations are being offered to familiarize readers with the candidates and issues on the June 8 ballot. Nothing, however, can replace individual investigation. If you, for some reason, don’t know where to vote on Election Day, call 415.499.6456 to find out. The important thing is that you cast an informed vote. That’s my point of view. What’s yours?
E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com
We’re helping keep our community strong.
At Bank of Marin, we’re dedicated to serving our community with financial strength, integrity and commitment. And we’re proud to have received the highest 5-Star Bauer Financial rating for over 10 straight years. We believe our customers are our greatest asset, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the future. Call or stop by any branch today.
Hugged a giant lately?
Looking for a road trip this summer? Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Avenue of the Giants. Created in 1960, the avenue offers visitors a leisurely drive of 32 miles through easily accessible redwood parks, trails, campgrounds and attractions, including drive-through trees, the 950-year-old Immortal Tree and the largest contiguous expanse of old-growth coastal redwoods in the world, the Rockefeller Forest. To help plan your day or weekend, the Save the Redwoods League has come up with 50 ways to enjoy the Avenue of the Giants, such as locate a rare albino redwood (photo above), hike Humbolt’s 100 miles of trails, or take an easy half-mile stroll highlighting the 375-foot Dyerville Giant, once the tallest tree in the world, which fell in 1991. For more info visit savetheredwoods.org or avenueofthegiants.net
GOLF ALERT
Kick off the weekend early this summer with Carmel Valley Ranch’s Five Holes on Friday package. This value package includes five holes of golf on the Pete Dye course on any Friday afternoon and overnight accommodations in a suite with views of Carmel Valley starting at $305 (except June 18) thru June. carmelvalleyranch.com
HAVE SOME PREHISTORIC FUN on a Dinosaurs Rock, Fossil Dig and Gemstone Hunt in Central Utah this June 27-29. “Unlike on superexpensive university digs, everyone is guaranteed to find real specimens,” says Neil Brown, cofounder of the program. Current itinerary includes a “prehistoric journey” to dig for 65-million-yearold dinosaur bones, a trilobite (500-million-yearold sea bug) excavation from a shale quarry, a topaz gemstone hunt and excavating the dazzling crystal-filled Dugway geodes. For more info go to dinosaursrock.com
TRAVEL WITH PEGGY AND PURPOSE
This month, adventurer Peggy Day of Sausalito travels to Chushul Home in Tibet, an orphanage she helped build 12 years ago. A veteran traveler in the region, Day leads tours of Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. Her Tibet adventure includes a stop in Beijing to visit spots like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square as well as time spent helping children at Chushul Home. And, she notes, “His Holiness is well aware of Chushul Home, so it’s a good conversation starter, if you ever get the chance to meet him.” For more on her experience and the opportunity to join in, go to marinmagazine.com/travel
Marin. Dream big,
Just submit your best idea for the ultimate dog park to benefuldreamdogpark.com And don’t hold back. Because $500,000 can build one amazing dog park. So dream as big as you can. A nationwide vote will help determine the winning idea and if it’s yours, we’ll build it here in the Bay Area.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest begins at 12:00:01 pm ET on May 3, 2010 and ends at 11:59:59 am ET on June 18, 2010. Open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States and D.C. (excluding AK and HI) who are dog owners, 18 years of age or older. Void in AK, HI and where prohibited. To enter, and for complete Official Rules go to: www.benefuldreamdogpark.com. Sponsored by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.
To win the Dipsea (Hers)
To win the Dipsea (His)
Jamie Berns, Tam Valley I’ve run the Dipsea every year since 1989; I won it in 2007, when I was 57 years old. Why a woman my age can win the Dipsea is because it’s a handicapped race. Old men, young girls, macho 24-year-old guys and women like me, are all arranged, or lined up, according to their age and sex. The youngest girls and oldest women start first—25 minutes ahead of the racehorse 19- to 30-year old guys—who start last. Then come young boys and older men and so forth. The year I won, I started 17 minutes ahead of the buff young guys who are assumed to be the fastest runners. But remember, if I was going to win, I had to pass the 100 to 120 runners who started ahead of me. The Dipsea is great this way; the first person across the finish line wins—in 1992, a nine-year- old girl won; in 1993, a 52-year-old grandmother won. In 2007, when I finished first, I was a minute and 45 seconds ahead of Russ Kiernan, who was then 69-years old and has won the Dipsea three times. We started together and I went out fast, wanted to keep him behind me, and I did. At the top of Dynamite, I passed my last runner and ran the final five miles all alone, in total silence, it was beautiful. Still, I ran hard and if I lost my focus I could wind up in a ditch. It’s a dangerous race, I’m five-foot, three inches, weigh 111 pounds and the hills are steep and much of the trail is narrow and rutted.
Roy Rivers, Tam Valley For years, I was a cyclist, but I lost a golf bet and the winner said I had to run the Dipsea. Now I love it; I am a Marin native and it’s our local institution—it is practically all we talk about all year. I’ve done 16 Dipseas and won in 2008. The hardest part for me is from 7 o’clock the night before until the start of the race, I get really excited; terribly nervous. I think that’s what causes my blood-sugar to drop way down. A couple of times I’ve collapsed on the trail, once when I stood a chance of winning. Anyway, the year I won—because I was 49—I had a six-minute handicap so there were 19 groups, meaning about 550 runners, ahead of me; I had to pass them all. After those 672 stairs at the beginning, stuff really starts to happen. My favorite part is going down into Muir Woods and taking that little bridge over Redwood Creek. Once I get to the top of a hill, like Cardiac, I never take time to rest going downhill; I keep the same outburst of energy. At just over seven miles, there is no place to rest; I exert every second I’m out there. I try to run full stride down The Swoop and take those awkward steps in Steep Ravine three at a time. It’s crazy. Having size 13 Adidas running shoes helps stabilize me. The year I won, my time was 53 minutes and 23 seconds—that’s a seven minute, 40 second mile—slow in a normal race but a winning time over the Dipsea’s tough terrain. At the end of the race, we all get together. We’re all friends: Melody Ann, Mark, Russ, Hans, Eve, Sam, all of us.
Editor's Note: Following Jamie Berns' Dipsea victory in 2007 and Roy Rivers' in 2008, the couple began “dating seriously.” In October of 2009, they got married.
To run the Dipsea when you’re 12 years old
ISABELLA AMYX-GASCON, TAM VALLEY Actually, I’ve run the Dipsea four times. My next Dipsea, on June 13th, will be my fifth. Also, I don’t run the entire seven or so miles, I walk up the Dipsea steps and all the really steep hills. It’s kind of fun. I’ll run with my friend Michalela Firnage from Mill Valley Middle School. My mom, Florencia, who’s an ultra marathon runner, and my dad, Tim, who loves the Dipsea, and my sister Nicole are also running. We’ll meet at the finish in Stinson Beach at the Tamalpa Runners Club picnic.
It should be fun. But I do get nervous in the car going to the start in Mill Valley. My favorite parts running are when you cross over the creek, then I like going really fast down Suicide, where I grab on to bushes to keep from falling.
I also like The Swoop because I’m surrounded by nature; and it’s nice coming out on Panoramic Highway and seeing the beach and ocean down below.
ABOVE : Dipsea race elevation gains are illustrated in this map created by Dewey Livingston. The race starts at sea level in Mill Valley (Lytton Square), peaks just over 1,200 feet and finishes at Stinson Beach at sea level.
And when everyone is cheering at the finish it really feels good. One time, going down Steep Ravine, I got pushed and fell down on a rock and was bleeding for the rest of the race. Each year, my time gets better. Last year, it was one hour and twenty minutes and I can’t remember how many seconds. Anyway, this year I want to do better. I’m on the track team at school, I run the two hundred and the twelve hundred meter races and that gets me in shape. I also run in the mountains with mom and dad and my sister. On race day, I’ll probably wear my hair in a ponytail, a Tamalpa singlet and running shorts and new style shoes that prevent twisting your ankle.
"What's It Like?" is a collection of firstperson accounts from local people doing extraordinary things. Submit your own personal story for consideration for a future issue. For guidelines, e-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.
New Coach
Are the rumors true? As of press time it has just been confirmed, that Jennifer Azzi, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Famer and Mill Valley resident we featured in the July 2007 issue, is the new University of San Francisco women’s basketball coach. Azzi is an Olympic gold medalist, WNBA player and former All-American for Stanford University.
ART DECO SALE
Works by Charles Eames, Gilbert Rohde, Thonet, Tiffany, Frank Lloyd Wright and Lalique are on sale at the 8th annual Art Deco and Modernism event at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco, June 5 and 6. Can’t tell a Frankart from a Frankl? Not to worry: the event, put on by Marin residents Peter and Deborah Keresztury, also features walking tours led by the Art Deco Society of America. 650.599.3326, artdecosale.com
Theater Group Turns 80 Y
es, it’s been 80 years. On June 27 the Ross Valley Players are celebrating their anniversary at the Barn Theatre. Back in 1930, the group gathered in that barn to escape the grim days of the Depression. 415.461.1428, rossvalleyplayers.com
Sway in the Grass
Celebrate summer with Kidzstock. On June 19, audiences can gather at Cascade Canyon School to see live performances by 20 musicians in a variety of genres—plus a special appearance by Joan Baez. When the children aren’t making flower necklaces they can play carnival games, get their face painted and partake in a community art project. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Cascade Canyon School. 415.847.7546, ccskidstock.org
Farmers’
Market Update
You’ll have to get those fresh tomatoes somewhere else for now. Marin City Farmers’ market is currently postponed due to the competitive market for fresh foods. The number of farmers who are certified for market sales are fewer than California’s growing quantity of available famers’ markets can support. Customers now have so many markets to choose from that farmers don’t receive the mass of buyers that are critical for their success. The Whole Foods at the Alto Shopping Center in Mill Valley does host a Friday farmers’ market year round; as for Marin City, we’ll have to wait for now.
CONGRATS!
Tiburon’s Koze (photo of window above) is celebrating five years on Main Street. The boutique, which is owned by Marin’s Darla Fisher, has expanded to include Koze Beginnings. Look for an anniversary celebration in August and celebratory window displays. At the Marin Humane Society’s annual volunteer recognition party, Marlene Rose Spinetta was posthumously honored as San Rafael Humanitarian of the Year. Her husband, Dominic, and their children accepted the award on her behalf. Tamalpais High School alumnus A. J. Schenbaum (whose family still resides in Mill Valley) is producing an independent film in Baltimore and has got hip-hop mogul Damon Dash on board to assist with the film’s admittance into the Sundance Film Festival.
Marin Catholic
Our 2010 Graduates are Attending:
Arizona State University
Boise State University
Boston College
Boston University
California Maritime Academy
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California State University, Chico
California State University, Northridge
Catholic University of America
Chapman University
College of Marin
College of the Holy Cross Cuesta College
Drew University
Duke University
Eugene Lang College
Expression College for Digital Arts
Fordham University
Fort Lewis College
Georgetown University
Gonzaga University
Harvard University
IMG Academy
Ithaca College
Lehigh University
Loyola Marymount University
Montana State University, Bozeman
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Occidental College
Oklahoma State University
Parsons School of Design
Point Park University
Princeton University
Providence College
Saint Mary’s College of California
San Francisco State University
Santa Clara University
Santa Rosa Junior College
Scripps College
Seattle University
Sonoma State University
Southern Methodist University
Texas Christian University
The University of Arizona
Trinity Pawling Prep School
United States Military Academy at Westpoint
University of California at Davis
University of California at Los Angeles
University of California at San Diego
University of California at Santa Barbara
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of Connecticut
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Oregon
University of Puget Sound
University of Redlands
University of San Diego
University of Southern California
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University
Wheelock College
Willamette University and more!
Faith Knowledge Service
What doesn’t Michael
Chiarello do? Along with stints on Top Chef Masters (he made it to the final four), he’s won three Emmy’s for his Food Network Show Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello; is behind the artisan home goods company NapaStyle and is the chef and owner of Bottega restaurant.
Recently, Chiarello unveiled a chef’s table at Bottega. Unlike other chef’s table-dining
Lynmar Lunchbox!
experiences that are set firmly in the kitchen, Chiarello’s Calcutta d’Oro marble and vintage brass table is still in the main dining room. However, the setting, near the opening to the bustling kitchen, provides the perfect vantage point: the action of the cooks behind the scenes plating the night’s meals and the excitement unfolding in the dining room as the night (and generous wine pouring) wears on.
While at the chef’s table, Chiarello is your evening’s host, dropping off each dish, discussing what inspired or challenged him, fielding questions about how to copy his presentation at home (hint: you’ll need a 2,000-year-old Himalayan salt block) and even agreeing to be in a picture or two.
On a recent night, the chefs smoked and braised short ribs, and paired perfectly cooked asparagus with a warm pecorino custard; but the crispy soft boiled egg and burrata were the most
True lovers of chocolate, don’t miss the first annual Napa luxury chocolate salon. It features 25 chocolatiers, confectioners and wineries along with chocolate tasting, author signings, wine tasting and ongoing interviews by TasteTV’s Chocolate Television. June 6, napachocolatesalon.com
exciting dishes on the plate. Leave room for the finale—a warm chocolate cake drizzled with a decadent hazelnut cream. Don’t miss the evening’s wine pairings—the sommelier pours varietals that have been carefully chosen to match each course—and keep a look out for Chiarello Family Vineyards, the chef’s own small-production estate winery.
The courses change each night and chef’s table guests are welcome to contact the restaurant in advance to have Chiarello create a menu that will pair with a favorite cult wine or to submit a special dietary request.
Prices will vary (per each night’s different courses and ingredients) but most meals have four courses plus a cheese service, and it’s about $70 per person for the dinner and an extra $30 per person for wine. Bottega, 6525 Washington Street, Yountville, 707.945.1050. botteganapavalley.com
Head up to Russian River for an organic, gardenfresh picnic lunch, packed in compostable and biodegradable packaging. The menu includes white truffle popcorn, fresh salad with citrus balsamic dressing and roasted meat and grilled vegetable sandwiches paired with Lynmar’s 2007 Russian River Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Lunch served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $35 a person ($30 for club members). lynmarwinery.com Mmmm more chocolate!
8 Simple Steps to Tie Success
1
Begin with the narrow end of the tie about a foot above the wide end of the tie.
3
Pull the wide end underneath the narrow end and hold out to the side.
2
Place the wide end of the tie over the narrow end.
4
Place the wide end over the narrow end and hold out to the side.
WAYNE KALECK IMPROVES YOUR TIE-TYING ACUMEN Tie-tying is one of those practical skills you either learned long ago — cotillion, boarding school, valet job — or not; perhaps you’ve managed to slip under the fashion radar by relying on the illusory clip-on. With June ushering in wedding season and the ubiquitous Father’s Day gift ties, we thought it was appropriate timing to ask tie guru Wayne Kaleck of Sausalito’s Gene Hiller (home to over 1,000 ties) how to confidently tie a tie. —somer flaherty
Bring the wide end of the tie through the back of the large hole and down through the small loop you’ve created in the tie.
Tighten the knot.
Slide up to the collar.
Slip into your perfectly tailored suit.
Curtis Robinson, M.D.
This Father’s Day, Curtis Robinson, M.D., father of five, will be enjoying his traditional breakfast in bed. Orchestrated by wife Xania and executed by Ismael, age 17, Italo, 16, Micaela, 12, Curtis, 6, and Semira, 4, the menu consists of eggs over easy, bacon, hash browns, toast, fruit and orange juice. “And if I am really lucky, I’ll get to run the Dipsea Trail and have someone pick me up at the beach,” he says. The pampering provides a well-deserved break from his usual busy schedule, which includes running a private family medical practice in Mill Valley, serving as president of the Marin County School Board, and dedicating at least four hours a week to the not-for-profit Marin City Health and Wellness Center. —M.T.
Why Marin? I grew up in Mill Valley and went to Tam High School, and even after going to UCSB as an undergrad and UCLA for medical school, I always knew I wanted to get back to Marin. I took my first job in Arizona to help establish a family medicine residency program at the county hospital in Phoenix and then returned to Marin to work with low-income individuals and migratory farmworkers at Community Health Clinic Ole in Napa. I started private practice in Mill Valley in 2001 and have never looked back. For me there is no better place to raise a family and be a family doctor than Mill Valley.
How did your dad influence you? My dad played a major role in who I am today. Not only was he a decent human being and a good man, but he set the example of local leadership and volunteerism, which surpasses most who have ever lived in Marin County. He was the first African-American west of the Mississippi to become a United States federal marshal. He also served for over 40 years on the Marin County School Board and taught us all that giving back to your community through volunteerism
PHOTO: TIM PORTER
is the best way for your community to thrive and prosper.
What keeps you going? Besides my wife and family, I love sports. I’m a tennis player and a runner. I also played a lot of soccer and baseball growing up in Mill Valley and love to see my kids play on the same fields and teams I played on as a child. In the winter we take the kids skiing, just like my parents took us. I’m definitely a sporty person.
How did you end up working with the Marin City Health and Wellness Center? I feel connected to Marin City because my dad lived there as a boy and many of my relatives still live there. I have a long résumé of working for improvement of community health indicators and access to health care. I ran a nonprofit called Health Relief International and have also been involved locally with the Empona Foundation, offering free breast cancer prevention and care to low-income women. Marin City is a forgotten place with significant health care needs, and the fact that I can think globally and act locally is awesome.
What else is needed? Well, volunteer physicians, private donations and further support from our local foundations. We need people and foundations who are committed (to working) toward closing the health care gap between Marin City residents and the rest of Marin County to step up to the plate and make positive change happen at the local level.
How has becoming a father changed your life? Where do I you start? I love being a father, a dad and a positive role model for my kids. I try to maintain some authority, yet be a friend. Because I grew up in the area, I really enjoy sharing with them the things we did as kids in Marin, such as Mill Valley Little League, picnics at Stinson Beach and experiences at Tam High. I’ve even gotten a couple of my kids to run the Dipsea with me. How wonderful is that!
Your walls
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F O R Y OU R INF O RMATI O N
Island Fever
BY P.J. BREMIER
KITCHENS
The well-designed kitchen island might well be likened to its tropical namesake, sans sand of course — a sleek span of space or one with lots of hiding spaces, either a peaceful oasis or one that’s hardworking and functional. While individual kitchen islands come in myriad styles, the best ones are always magnetic when it comes to attracting friends and family. Here, we ask some of Marin’s design experts to share their ideas for the ideal kitchen island.
“I would want to be stranded on Poggenpohl’s “Plusmodo” island. A cantilevered countertop on an island can provide a seating area while also creating a visual statement. Having a cooktop in the island can bring you closer to your guests if you are entertaining and preparing a meal. Exposed pullouts under the countertop help you access commonly used items and having them pull out creates a better ergonomic environment. If properly planned the island can be the hub of the kitchen.”
Joseph Saitta, SHOWROOM MANAGER/DESIGNER, POGGENPOHL U.S., INC. (SAN FRANCISCO), 415.865.0443, POGGENPOHL.DE/EN
“My ideal island is one that is versatile and can be used for different functions. That’s why I think it’s important to have a large work surface without too many built-ins like appliances or sinks. That way, it can be used for the cook’s prep work, a child’s homework spot or craft station or it can be converted to a buffet for dinner parties.”
Brian Allen, DESIGNER, SIEMATIC (SAN FRANCISCO), 415.442.0255, SIEMATIC-SANFRANCISCO.COM
“The ideal island is big enough for two people to work on. Islands are focal points because they stand alone so, ideally, I like to give them a sculptural quality. It’s great to have a sink in the island with a knife drawer, pull-out recycle/compost bin, pull-up food processor cabinet, cutting board and lots of drawers for plastic wrap, zip-lock bags and Tupperware. Being able to seat your friends and family at the island creates a center of activity that is inclusive and graciously inviting. Everyone feels welcome.”
Janine Peck, CERTIFIED KITCHEN/BATH DESIGNER AND OWNER OF DESIGN ORENDAIN (MILL VALLEY), 415.381.5311, KITCHENSBYJANINE.COM
“If the kitchen is the core of the home, the island is the heart of the kitchen. The island establishes the chef’s domain while engaging guests in the art of cooking and the pleasures of eating. It’s the gathering place for storytelling, homework, holiday buffets and brewing practical magic.”
Jared Polsky, PRINCIPAL, POLSKY PERLSTEIN ARCHITECTS (LARKSPUR), 415.927.1156, POLSKYARCHITECTS.COM
“Kitchen islands are a popular feature in today’s kitchen, providing not only a communal gathering area and additional working space, but also the possibility of a second sink, wine storage or cooking capacity.”
“An ideal island is like a campfire that invites everyone to gather around, either side by side or facing each other so conversation happens easily. Or there’s something to look at so one doesn’t have to talk. I’d put almost everything there and make it big; let there merely be comfortable walking room around it. There needs to be a prep sink and plenty of counter space for working, a cooktop and comfortable seating. There would be about four countertop heights and materials based on function and aesthetics.”
Rosemarie Halajian, CO-OWNER, KITCHENS AND MORE (SAN RAFAEL), 415.479.1000, KITCHENSANDMORE.COM
THE WORM MAN OF ALCATRAZ
The Rock’s gardens are a pet project for one San Anselmo volunteer BY JIM WOOD
When Dick Miner talks of earthworms, he nearly tears up. “These here are red wigglers,” he says softly, looking down at a cluster of squirming spaghetti strips the color of steak sauce he’s holding in his soil-covered hands. He even names worms he’s especially fond of, according to those who volunteer with the 69-year-old Miner on Alcatraz Island. Miner also raises the wigglers in the kitchen of his San Anselmo home. So, what’s with this love of all things annelid?
“Worms work wonders with compost,” Miner says, standing next to one of four closet-size compost bins on the northeast side of the 22acre island. “They eat organic waste and turn it into some of the best fertilizer on earth.”
Miner has been working since 2003 to turn Alcatraz into home of one of the most beautiful garden collections in the Bay Area. All the gardens are infused with his compost. “During the years I’ve been here, I’ve done landscaping, carpentry, masonry, even built a concrete birdbath,” Miner says. “But now my primary job is, well, managing compost.”
Miner’s mix consists of hops from San Francisco’s Anchor Steam Brewery, grass clippings from his San Anselmo neighbors, manure he transports to the island in plastic bags from Petaluma chicken and horse ranches, and clippings from the island’s many plantings.
“The prison structures have their own feel—not to be compared with the gardens,” he says. “It’s not at all hard to become passionate about these gardens.”
The concept of passion has rarely been favorably associated with Alcatraz, once home to the federal penitentiary known as the Rock, an appropriate name because geologically the island is
little more than a thin layer of soil covering a hump of sandstone that rises 140 feet above San Francisco Bay. The U.S. Army built there first, erecting a fortress in the mid-1800s. Following the Civil War, the fort became a military prison, and the guards dug holes in the sandstone and filled them with topsoil imported from the mainland. Within years, those cavities sprouted the native cactus, as well as Monterey cypress and even calla lilies that Miner and a team of more than 60 volunteers have brought back to life. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and in subsequent years, some civilian prisoners were sent to the island as well.
In 1934, Alcatraz was made a federal penitentiary, where only “the worst of the worst” were sent after proving themselves incorrigible in other U.S. prisons. In ensuing years, the wives of the wardens — along with trusted convicts — began creating gracious gardens of roses, geraniums, agaves and Jupiter’s beard. The government closed the prison in 1963, and nine years later Alcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National
Dick Miner
Recreation Area, which opened the prison to public tours. The gardens were all but neglected for 40 years.
Today, thanks to the Garden Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of exceptional American gardens, along with the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and dozens of volunteers, Alcatraz’s gardens are once again blooming profusely.
“In 2003, the garden restoration was conceived,” recalls Miner, a retired microbiologist, “and for almost the next three years all we did was clear out weeds and overgrown plant material.” Once the replanting began, decisions were made only after consultation
with the three partnering organizations and careful perusal of historical photographs, some dating to the late 1800s, most from the 1920s through 1940s.
“We wanted to ‘restore’ the gardens as they once were,” says Garden Conservancy project manager Shelagh Fritz, “not add newer-type plants and modern colors.” These efforts resulted in seven garden areas on Alcatraz:
Main Road (and its accompanying wall) leading up to the cell house; abounds with ferns, ivies and succulents.
Rose Garden, originally planted in 1934, directly below Alcatraz’s massive water tank; now the site of a cedar greenhouse.
Officers’ Row, a large plot of fuchsias, lilies and geraniums where three Victorian homes once stood.
Warden’s House, a shade garden near the ruins of the home opposite the main cell house entrance.
Cell House Slope, dominated by the iconic lavender ice plant often called Persian carpet.
West Lawn, planted by prisoners in the 1940s when Pacific Heights residents sent over seed and plant material to make the island “more attractive.”
West Side Prisoner Gardens, the only plantings prisoners could see as they walked a heavily guarded path to work in the prison’s small factory.
“The visitor who comes here expects to find a barren rock,” one convict wrote in 1918, “but as he (or she) strolls over it he (or she) is surprised to find roses in bloom, sweet peas, lilies, and a large variety of other flowers in all their beauty and fragrance. In this way, barren wastes are converted into garden spots and ugliness is transformed into beauty.”
Nearly 100 years later, once again that is true when visitors come to experience the “rock.”
GARDEN VIEWS Docent-led tours of the gardens depart the island’s dock area Fridays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Visitors should take the 9 a.m. ferry that leaves Pier 33 in San Francisco. Informative talks are given in the Officers’ Row garden Wednesdays at 11 a.m. For more information visit alcatrazgardens.com
It’s no coincidence that “say cheese” is the tried and true method of getting people to smile. After all, nothing prompts a camera-ready grin like a taste of handmade artisan, farmstead, local cheese. Given our growing community of cheesemakers, we can’t help but embrace our cheesy tendencies. What started 25 years ago with one cheesemaker from Oakdale, CA, has been perfectly aged. We’re proud to embrace local dairy traditions in Marin and Sonoma by hosting a half dozen local cheesemakers. Whether you’re looking for a slice of cheddar or a dollop of crème fraîche, you’ll find it at the Ag Institute’s farmers markets.
Wearing their cheesiest smiles are cheesemakers from Cowgirl Creamery, Spring Hill Jersey Cheese, Bodega Artisan Goat Cheese, and Bellwether Farms. For the full interviews, visit aginstitutemarin.org Meet Your local cheesemakers at the
Marin Civic Center (Sun & Thurs, 8-1, ALL YEAR)
Novato (Tues, 4-8, May-september)
Fairfax (Wed, 4-8, May-september)
Marin City (TBA)
stonestown — San Francisco (Sun, 9-1, All Year)
Newark (Sun, 9-1, ALL YEAR)
OAKLAND — Grand Lake (Sat, 9-2, ALL YEAR)
Hayward (Sat, 9-1, ALL YEAR)
Photo by Curtis Myers
Sutter Health’s man in Marin discusses the hospital that could have been, and why his organization is staying in the county
BY JIM WOOD
MARTIN BROTMAN, m.d.
Martin Brotman, M.D., practices internal medicine and gastroenterology. “First and foremost,” he says, “I’m a physician.” The fit and distinguished-looking 70-year-old spends most of his Mondays seeing patients, frequently performing endoscopy procedures.
During his remaining working hours, Dr. Brotman is president of Sutter Health’s West Bay Region, wherein he oversees the operations of San Francisco’s massive California Pacific Medical Center, Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lake County, Novato Community Hospital and, until June 30, Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae. It is important here to note that Sutter Health is a not-for-profit network of community hospitals, whose revenues in excess of expenses are managed centrally, then distributed to member hospitals and the communities they serve.
The years of rancor and political infighting leading up to Sutter Health and Marin General’s parting of ways are lengthy and legendary. And Brotman, who has been with Sutter Health for 15 years in a position unrelated to MGH, acknowledges his organization is not blame-free. “Where Sutter got itself in trouble was, we didn’t aggressively confront our critics,” he says. “So we came out looking both lessthan-adequate and above the fray.”
Now that he is working closely with Marin General—even if to help guide its disengagement from Sutter Health’s network of 27 Northern California hospitals—the soft-spoken Brotman is anxious to set the record straight. “Sutter Health is truly a first-class health care delivery organization,” he says. “And the reputation we had in this community was simply (due to) a misrepresentation of demonstrable facts.”
In 1962, at age 22, Brotman graduated first in his class from Canada’s Manitoba Medical College. He arrived in the Bay Area in 1967 and lived in Tiburon for 29 years (he now lives in San Francisco). Brotman and Farron, his wife of 50 years and a practicing psychotherapist, raised three children in Marin and now have six grandchildren who live throughout the Bay Area, including a pair of twins in Ross. “I have all kinds of selfish interests in Marin,” he says.
In a Bay Area newspaper ad, you signed a statement reading, “Sutter Health plans plan to focus on making health care more accessible for Marin residents. We will recruit more physicians, build new medical office buildings and expand our outpatient services, labs and diagnostics.” You’re leaving MGH, but staying in Marin—please explain. Sutter wants to continue to provide its kind of health care delivery in Marin. Sutter didn’t want to leave Marin General. For 14 years, we responsibly managed Marin General and that is the way we will leave it on June 30th. In 2006, at the request of the Marin Healthcare District, we agreed to leave when our contract ran out in 2015. However, the district’s board said they wanted their hospital back sooner, so we agreed to (that). What we were asked to do—and what we did—was walk away from a very, very important asset that we had a contractual right to retain. However, we did not agree to leave Marin County. And let me add, if I’d had the power, which at the time I didn’t have, I would have done everything possible to keep Sutter Health and Marin General together.
crying for redevelopment—and what better use than as a site for health care delivery?
Finally, Sutter has been accused of questionably “transferring” some $130 million out of Marin General in the past few years. Your comments, please? As was mentioned earlier, Sutter Health is a not-for-profit organization wherein excess revenues are transferred into a common treasury; ours happens to be in Sacramento. We then take that money and—after
“Where Sutter got itself in trouble was, we didn’t aggressively confront our critics,” Brotman says. “So we came out looking both less-than-adequate and above the fray.”
The ad also states, “Sutter Health has no plans in the foreseeable future to build an acute care hospital in Marin County.” Why is the word “foreseeable” included? Will Sutter someday compete with MGH? In 2005, provided our lease was extended to 50 years, Sutter offered to build a new $400 million hospital for Marin—at no cost to taxpayers or the Healthcare District. However, in their judgment, the district decided not to do that. Moreover, at present, Sutter has absolutely no plans to build a competitive hospital in Marin. However, the reason I said “foreseeable” was I didn’t want to prematurely lock out any options. In this business we never say never. We all know California has a law stating that hospitals that are not seismically stable must be retrofitted, built anew or closed down. Marin General is not up to seismic law; it will have to be rebuilt, and planning for that process must start at least five years in advance.
Fortunately, the deadline for that mandate was extended until 2015. And Marin voters must first pass a multimillion-dollar bond measure to provide for their new or retrofitted hospital. Sutter Health will support that bond measure. Moreover, if Marin General is successful with their program, as I hope they will be—they have a very competent manager in Lee Domanico—Sutter will not build a hospital in Marin in the near future. In that case, we will build a medical office building and outpatient facility at Marin Square (off Bellum Boulevard at the convergence of Highways 580 and 101), where, by the way, it’s public knowledge we’ve acquired over $50 million in commercial real estate. We believe this is a strategic location just
managing it as carefully and efficiently as possible—allocate it according to need on a prioritized basis among our member hospitals. For example, historically, CPMC has been a net contributor to the system. And currently, Sutter Health is building Mills Peninsula Hospital on the Peninsula along with hospitals in Santa Rosa, Castro Valley and Sacramento. Soon, when we get the entitlements, CPMC will embark on a $2.2 billion building program In San Francisco and then … Do you get the idea? That is how systems like ours all across the United States handle their reserves. The assets do not belong to any particular entity.
Moreover, Sutter has contributed more to Marin health care than the dollar value of the depreciation of Marin General Hospital. We have also paid off all the hospital’s debts, fully funded its pension plan, built the stateof-the-art Marin Cancer Institute, invested $50 million in Marin Square, and we will leave Marin General with $30 million in operating funds.
In addition, Sutter Health donated $10 million to the Marin Community Foundation to support the county’s underinsured and uninsured health care needs over the next five years—and recently, the foundation announced the first series of grants: $1.25 million for dental health, immunizations and mental health programs. Regarding the $130 million, that was our money, we earned it and have a legal right to it—as stated in our Marin General lease agreement and restated in court rulings.
Yet we aren’t, in so many words, “taking it”—we have and we will continue to reinvest it in providing health care services for Marin and communities throughout Northern California. Furthermore, and to summarize, let’s imagine that some years back the Marin Healthcare District accepted Sutter’s offer to build a $400 million hospital. I do not think there would have been an uprising of objectors stating, “Don’t you dare bring any money from San Francisco or Sacramento to build a hospital here in Marin. We want to use our own money, even if it takes us 30 years to raise it.”
Editors note : For our Conversation with Lee Domanico, Marin Healthcare District CEO, go to marinmagazine.com/domanico
LEFT : Water from Kent Lake, which reached 100 percent of capacity this year, spills over Peters Dam into Lagunitas Creek.
BELOW : Bon Tempe Lake near Fairfax glimmers beneath the green slops of Mt. Tam.
water, water, everywhere…
but is it enough? The debate over how to meet Marin’s water needs
BY SOMER FLAHERTY PHOTOS TIM PORTER
Is a desalination plant the answer to Marin’s long-term water needs?
The issue has been the center of a contentious debate for more than two decades. Last August, it finally seemed settled when the Marin Municipal Water District approved construction of a $105 million desalination plant near the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge.
But like a Hollywood script under constant rewrite, the story has yet another twist. In April, after a previous year in which residents cut water use by 8.5 percent and a winter of heavy rains overfilled local reservoirs, the district shelved the desalination project—at least for now.
The district, which provides water to 190,000 people in south and central Marin, wants to hold off until it completes a state-mandated assessment of local water supplies that will consider whether they are sufficient in normal, dry and multiple dry years.
The review, done every fi ve years and called the Urban Water Management Plan, will be finished this year. Coupled with this summer’s water use statistics, the study will determine the fate of the de-
salination plant—all of which makes this year critical in determining Marin’s future water supply.
And that brings us to the $105 million question: with the district’s seven reservoirs brimming and water consumption levels lower than expected, is there still a need for a pricey desalination plant?
That depends on how thirsty the people of Marin get, says Paul Helliker, general manager of the district.
With the district’s seven reservoirs brimming and water consumption lower than expected, is there still a need for a pricey desalination plant? That depends on how thirsty the people of Marin get, says Paul Helliker, general manager of the district.
“If the consumption pattern continues, then we don’t have to move ahead,” he says. “But if water use goes back up, then our projections are we won’t have enough water in a future drought.”
Between 2001 and 2005, when the district was in the thick of planning for the desalination plant, its residential and business customers used 1 billion more gallons of water per year than they do now. Today, after conservation efforts by customers, a cool summer and a rotten economy, consumption has fallen—dipping so much last year the district ratcheted up water rates 9.8 percent to cover a $3.9 million drop in revenue.
Now the decision is whether Marin should move forward with the desalination plant as an insurance policy or trust that lower use patterns will persist. If water usage rises again, and Marin doesn’t have another source, such as the desalination plant, the county could find itself unprepared, and very thirsty, when the next drought inevitably occurs.
THE BIG DROUGHT OF ’76
The drought of 1976 is considered Marin’s worst on record. Toilets weren’t flushed, people put buckets in their showers to catch water for their yards and Marin built a temporary pipeline across the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge to pump in water from the East Bay.
If a similar drought happened today, getting through it would mean more than letting lawns go brown. Many homes already have low-flow toilets and showerheads, landscaping is less water-hungry and people are more conservation conscious, which means saving additional water would be even more difficult. The water district
WHERE THE WATER GOES
predicts that a ’76-level drought would force residents to cut back water useage 65 percent more—on top of what they’ve already saved.
It’s a scenario that concerns customers like Alan Peterson, a San Rafael resident who owns a second home on Catalina Island and remembers the water shortage there in the 1970s. “During that time all the restaurants had to serve food on disposable plates because there just wasn’t enough water to wash the dishes,” he says.
Since then, Catalina has built a desalination plant, a solution Peterson endorses. “We will always need to conserve,” he says, “but with the population growing, we need to have some sort of backup. Yes, (the desalination plant) is expensive, but I’d rather pay a little higher water bill than be subject to the inconvenience of having to conserve to a great extent.”
NO EASY ANSWERS
A desalination plant alone wouldn’t solve Marin’s water needs if consumption rises and a drought occurs, the water district points out. Initially, the plant could generate five million gallons of water a day, only about one-sixth of Marin’s usage on a hot summer day. The most feasible solution, the district argues, is a combination of desalination and conservation.
Alternate tactics such as increasing the capacity of existing reservoirs or building new ones would be difficult because of environmental concerns involving critical habitat for endangered fish and other aquatic species. Buying Russian River water from the Sonoma County Water Agency (which provides much of the water to Novato via the North Marin Water District) isn’t an option because even if rights to the water could be obtained the cost of constructing more than 50 miles of pipelines and pump stations is prohibitive.
That leaves desalination—a divisive proposition.
Lather, rinse, don’t repeat. At the Marin Municipal Water District’s lowest-tier billing rate, with a MMWD- and state-required showerhead that uses two gallons per minute, a 10-minute shower costs less than a penny. At the highest-tier rate, the shower costs 54 cents. With an older showerhead that typically uses about four gallons per minute, at the highest-tier rate, the shower costs over a dollar.
Flushing money down the drain? All plumbing installed, replaced or moved in any new or existing MMWD service is required by the district to be high-efficiency. With these types of toilets, at the lowest-tier rate, 10 flushes cost about a half cent; at the highest-tier rate, about 35 cents. With older toilets made pre-1980, the 10-flush cost ranges from 23 cents to $1.36.
Wear again before you wash. High-efficiency clothes washers save water and money. For 10 high-efficiency washes, the cost ranges from 59 cents to $3.54. The cost of doing 10 loads with older, standard washers ranges from $1.77 to $10.60.
Those for and against the plant aren’t split along environmental lines. Some of the local environmental movement’s biggest names support desalination, including Assemblyman Jared Huffman, who pushed the plant as the water district’s only viable source for new water, and nonagenarian environmental activist Marty Griffin, who contends that desalination should be a primary option for meeting Marin’s long-term water needs.
Opponents, such as San Anselmo Councilman Ford Greene, say the plant will “spawn more intense development that we neither want nor need.” Others, such as Mill Valley environmental consultant Geoff Strawbridge, argue that desalination sends the public the wrong message about conservation.
“Coming from a sustainability standpoint, I’m always wary about desalination projects,” Strawbridge says. “It makes it very difficult to help people look at the larger picture.”
HOW DESALINATION WORKS
As a technology, desalination isn’t new. Facilities exist in every U.S. state, and in desert countries such as Saudi Arabia, desalinated seawater makes up almost the entire water supply.
The Marin Municipal Water District built a small pilot desalination plant in the 1990s that it used to test the quality of the water the process would produce. The results? “We did a testing (for) 600-plus chemicals and found very few detectable levels, and none of those come through the treatment system into the drinking water,” Helliker says. The Marin plant would be located on water district land on Pelican Way in San Rafael and would pump in bay water from a nearby intake. The plant would convert the salt water into drinkable water.
The process involves several phases—first removal of solids from the salt water, then desalination via a process called reverse osmosis (see sidebar), and finally post-treatment of the desalted water to make it taste better.
The saltwater pretreatment leaves a sludge that would be disposed of at a regional landfill and the reverse osmosis creates a byproduct of saline concentrate, or brine. The Central Marin Sanitation Agency, which treats wastewater in central Marin, would blend the brine with treated effluent to reduce the salt concentration and pump it back into the bay.
Critics are concerned about the effect of the brine on marine life and about the amount of energy the reverse osmosis requires. Under average conditions for a five-million-gallon-per-day desalination facility, the water district projects a 40 percent increase in electricity usage. In a drought, electricity usage would double.
CHANGING BEHAVIOR, HOPING FOR RAIN
Those are the sorts of issues that desalination opponents say increase the urgency of the case for more conservation.
“There’s a ton of work to be done and ways to be less water wasteful before we have to get into a desal project,” says Strawbridge, who argues that the water district underestimates the full potential for local conservation. “It’s time we looked at the larger picture and see how people can look at water more wisely with education and behavior modification.”
Ultimately, getting people to change their behavior is crucial in order to guarantee sufficient water supply for the long haul, says Brock Dolman, director of the Water Institute in Sonoma. “You’ve got to tighten up the ship,” he says. “Any time you don’t need to use water, don’t use it. Imagine the savings that ripple out of that.”
This is where the big Hollywood cliffhanger comes in: will the county be able to live long term on less water? Even after the district completes its water management analysis and decides whether to desalinate or not, we’ll have to wait for the sequel to find out.
The only certainty, Helliker says, is that if the district ever OKs desalination, it will take five years to get the plant up and running. “We have a two-year water supply when it stops raining, so a five-year window doesn’t give us a warm and fuzzy feeling,” he says. “That’s always the challenge we face—what’s the weather going to hold in store?”
SO WHAT’S OSMOSIS—LET ALONE REVERSE?
This process uses a pressure-driven membrane to separate salt water into drinkable water and brine. The semipermeable membrane allows water passage while limiting the passage of solutes (such as salts and other contaminants). The process requires that the water be applied to the membrane at a pressure that exceeds osmotic pressure—hence the term reverse osmosis.
RIGHT : A boy fishes in Kent Lake just beneath the spillway from Bon Tempe Lake. RIGHT : Kent Lake, the largest of the Marin Municipal Water District’s reservoirs.
Will the county be able to live long term on less water? Even after the district completes its analysis and decides whether to desalinate or not, we’ll have to wait to find out.
JOURNEY
Art, History,
FROM LEFT: Gelato vendors flourish along Florence’s cobblestoned streets; Florence’s Duomo is a maze of intricate marble inlay; In Tuscany, cypress trees stand at attention along meandering paths.
Gelato!
FROM FLORENCE TO THE TUSCAN HILLS
Story and photos by Karyn Millet
“It was pleasant to wake up in Florence… to fling wide the windows… to lean out into the sunshine with beautiful hills and trees and marble churches… ”
THE INSPIRATION, AWE AND ENJOYMENT that Lucy Honeychurch, the heroine of E. M. Forster’s 1908 novel Room with a View, found during her fictional visit to Tuscany abounds today in central Italy.
TFlorence, the capital of the Tuscan region, oozes history around every classical columned corner. The Uffizi Gallery, home to Da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus , was once the office for the Medici family, rulers of Florence in its 16thcentury heyday. Not wanting to mix with the common folk, the family constructed a two-story enclosed corridor from the Uffizi to their home, the Pitti Palace, about a mile away. A tour through the Vasari Corridor lets you walk in the shoes of a Medici, even stopping for mass at the Chiesa di Santa Felicita
as the corridor discreetly passes through the balcony of the facade.
The famous Ponte Vecchio spanning the Arno River still bustles with life, although mainly of the tourist variety. The bridge is also a gateway to two of Florence’s best restaurants, Trattoria Cammillo and Buca dell’Orafo, where descendants of the founders serve unforgettable ribollita (a classic Tuscan soup), fettuccini and pasta fagioli.
The centerpiece of Florence is its cathedral (the Duomo), ornate with mulicolored marble placed intricately into undulating geometric patterns. The Palazzo Niccolini Hotel’s Duomo Suite offers a spectacular view. Looking up to the suite, I imagined waking in the morning to a cityscape filled with the Duomo’s dramatic architecture. In the words of Miss Honeychurch, I would “fling wide the windows.”
The cobblestone streets of Florence are their own form of art, replete with grand-
scale Renaissance architecture, open markets, Gothic churches and the most delicious gelato. My favorite stop, Vestri Gelato, picked me up perfectly after an afternoon of meandering.
With a few days of art, history and gelato under my belt, I left Florence for the bucolic hills of Tuscany’s countryside and the walled hill city of Pienza. With street names like Via Della Amore and Via Della Volpe, Pienza has the feel of a movie set—romantic and charming in every way. Laundry hangs from green shuttered windows while storekeepers sell wines and local cheeses on the street level.
The city’s fortressed walls provide a vantage point for a quintessential Tuscan panorama — cypress trees standing like soldiers at attention, their ranks stretching in formation across the sweep of rolling vineyards and farms below.
Accommodations in the countryside vary, but the recent wave of agroturismo inns and small hotels provide a distinctly authentic Italian experience. In particular, La Bandita, on a hilltop just outside Pienza, is a tranquil hideaway offering delicious organic meals with ingredients from local growers. The main stone structure until recently was part of a working farm complete with sheep, goats and cows. A herd of long-haired sheep grazed in the meadow outside my bedroom window. After a day of Tuscan touring by car, nothing seems better than coming “home” to a farmhouse
OPPOSITE : Colorful modes of transportation line the streets of Florence. ABOVE : The fabled Ponte Vecchio stretches across the Arno River linking Florence’s two sides.
LOWER : Starting the day in Tuscany with a fresh cappuccino.
and a rustic dinner of hearty soup, grilled vegetables with olive oil, marinated steak and a heavenly tiramisu.
Just a short drive down the road is La Foce, author Iris Origo’s famous formal garden. During World War II, this dauntless English woman and her Italian husband secretly helped wounded Allied soldiers and refugees even while invading German troops occupied her house. She tells the story in her diary, which she buried in the garden every morning for safekeeping. Read her account, War in Val d’Orcia, then stroll the garden’s exquisite travertine paths, cypress alley, box hedges and rose garden.
About an hour north is Siena, a vast fortress of brick walls surrounding a historically influential city. A political
rival of Florence, Siena was a formidable seat of regional power but riven by internal strife between nobles and commoners. Still, amid the turmoil, Siena founded a university in 1240 that continues to thrive.
Visitors must park outside Siena’s walls and walk to the town center, where a full complement of restaurants, plazas and museums, countless shops and a huge cathedral await. The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo is renowned for its outdoor cafes. There, indulging in an afternoon glass of Chianti Colli Senesi, I pondered my Tuscan adventure and realized that nearly every room in this region comes with not only a view but also an enchanting passport to Italy’s Renaissance past.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT : A herd of long-haired sheep graze the hillside of La Bandita hotel in Tuscany; outdoor cafes are tucked into the plazas of the walled city of Pienza; a wall in a Florence courtyard reveals a patina of time and age; formerly a farmhouse, small building with lavender in foreground.
A Duffer’s DELIGHT
10 HOLES GUARANTEED TO PRODUCE LASTING MEMORIES
BY ART SPANDER
Every golfer has a favorite hole. It may be the one he finally birdied after four years. Or the one where she knocked in a 10-footer to win a friendly match. It might be a hole as difficult as the 18th at Pebble Beach or as unusual as the 18th as Lake Chabot in Oakland, one of the few par-6s anywhere. | To be memorable, a hole doesn’t necessarily have to be great— a subjective definition anyway in a game of absolutes—but it should be interesting. It may have a history or it may be a mystery. Most of all it’s a hole; whether you love it or hate it, you can’t wait to play again. | Here are one individual’s top ten. All are in Northern California or Hawaii and all are on courses open to the public. They’re listed on the following pages, with yardages from the back tees.
LANA’I, HAWAII
Challenge at Manele
ARCHITECT: Jack Nicklaus
No. 12, par 3,202 yards
Bill Gates was married at the hole, which hangs on a lava cliff overlooking Hulopoe Bay, maybe 150 feet above the surf. It’s all carry down the left side, meaning a pulled shot ends up down where the dolphins frolic, content in not knowing whether you took enough club, which most players do not. The 12th is the signature hole of a course that climbs an ancient volcano on an island that’s a 45-minute ferry ride from Lahaina Harbor on Maui or a 25-minute flight from Honolulu. And if you think it’s going to be a day on the beach, then you don’t know Jack (Nicklaus).
TRUCKEE, CA
Old Greenwood
Architect: Jack Nicklaus
No. 6, par 5,578 yards
At Tahoe’s altitude, more than 6,400 feet, golf balls travel up to 15 percent farther in the air, a reality that sometimes brings on a fantasy, making the average person think he’s John Daly. Nicklaus cleverly designed the 6th as a risk-reward hole, daring the long-hitter to go for the green in two after a big drive, but taunting him with a large lake to the left and front of the green. Sure it’s smarter to lay up, but there’s a little voice inside your head saying, “You didn’t come all the way up I-80 to play safe, did you?’’
Half Moon Bay Golf Links (Old Course)
Architects: Arnold Palmer, Francis Duane
No. 18, par 4,384 yards
There are days when Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, puts its best fog forward. But when the coast is literally clear, the 18th on the Old Course —there’s a newer links-style Ocean Course—is a delight just to view, much less to play. The Pacific runs along the entire right side, and a ravine slashes across the fairway. Up ahead is the imposing presence of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The blend of green grass, brown cliffs and blue-and-white water creates a palette of color that would appeal to any artist, or golfer. The course was used in May as a qualifying site for the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
HALF MOON BAY, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Lincoln Park
Architect: Donald Ross No. 17, par 3,242 yards
The downhill hole has been described as everything from brutal to beautiful. It’s both, a virtually unreachable—except for the longest hitters—par 3 embraced by a panorama of the Golden Gate. Who cares if it’s a bit unfair? It’s a unique hole that’s very San Francisco. Lincoln Park’s other holes wind around the Palace of the Legion of Honor, where Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart gazed at a painting in Vertigo. If golfers at 17 get dizzy, it will be from the view, perhaps the best in the game. And to think Lincoln Park is a muni. Yes, The City That Knows How.
PACIFIC GROVE, CA
Pacific Grove Golf Course
Architect: Jack Neville No. 12, par 5,513 yards
Another one of those only-in-Northern-California holes, although there are times, with the sky gray you’d swear you were in Scotland. Wind, cypress trees, ice plant, links-type terrain and in the distance waves cracking against the rocks. A dogleg right, the hole invites the golfer to bite off as much of the rolling dunes as possible or simply play down the left side. Then there’s an approximate 60yard shot to a green with a false front. Everything you could want in a single hole.
OAKLAND, CA
Lake Chabot Municipal Course
Architect: Willie Loch
No. 18, par 6,673 yards
Yes, that’s right, par 6, one of the few anywhere. It’s downhill, so the yardage is misleading. When the Oakland City Championships were at Chabot, the big guys almost could get there in two. A pro, Vince Howell hit his second shot, a 3-wood, to within 13 inches of the flagstick. What do you call a 2 on a par6, a triple-eagle? “I would call it luck,’’ was the response of the USGA’s Rand Jerris. It’s all academic, since no one ever has had better than a 3. Chabot opened in the 1920s. Now a 670-yard hole would be a par-5 and not as exciting to play.
Silverado South Course
Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
No. 16, par 4,330 yards
It’s a nothing hole as far as distance goes, but it’s still perplexing. When the Champions Tour tournaments were held on Silverado South, the 16th flummoxed Arnold Palmer, for one. His tee shots were too long for a comfortable wedge second shot. Finally, Arnie decided to hit an iron off the tee. Any hole that puzzles one of the great players of all time can’t be a bad one. Most of us don’t have Arnie’s worry. We just pull out a driver and swing away.
Spyglass Hill
Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
No. 1, par 5,600 yards
What a way to start, a fantastic, downhill monster that curves out of Del Monte Forest toward the dunes adjacent to Carmel Bay. The holes at Spyglass were named for characters or settings in books by Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived for a time in the Monterey area, and the first is Treasure Island. The green is compartmentalized, canted away from the golfer, and sits as an “island’’ in a Sahara of sand. When in its second year of operation, 1967, Spyglass was added to the Crosby Pro-Am rotation, the pros didn’t like the hole. Now they love it.
PEBBLE BEACH, CA
NAPA, CA
PEBBLE BEACH, CA
Pebble Beach
Architect: Jack Neville
No. 18, par 5,548 yards
Want to feel like Tiger or Phil coming down the stretch at U.S. Open or AT&T? If the 18th isn’t the most famous hole in America, it’s a close second to whatever is. Carmel Bay on the left, out-of-bounds on the right, history everywhere. You can get there in two if the wind isn’t in your face. But beware. Back in the 1970s, a would-be qualifier for the California Amateur needed only a 10 on the hole to make it to match play, but hit two balls to the right, two into the water and ended up with a 17. No wonder years earlier the hole was nicknamed “the Finisher.’’
KAPALUA, MAUI, HAWAII
Bay Course
Architects: Arnold Palmer, Francis Duane
No. 4, par 4,357 yards
While the fifth hole at the Bay Course, a par-3 across an inlet of the sea, gets more attention, the fourth is both cerebral and tempting, an illustration that length is not the only criterion in design, especially at a resort course. The fairway is a dogleg left, the green tucked neatly behind a few trees, vegetation and sand. The question is whether to play safe off the tee or try for the extra yards, a gamble that might leave you with a short chip or a ball in the Pacific. Before the tougher Plantation Course was built, the Bay was used for pro tournaments.
In light of all the recent health headlines about vitamin D deficiency, I’d like to propose another essential nutrient: vitamin V—derived from the awe of ogling a fantastic view. The idea came to me as my husband and I drove along the coast of Big Sur with its dramatic vistas replete with brilliant blues and greens. The Wall Street Journal had just run a story on the positive effects of art on the brain. It quoted Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Museum in Baltimore, using the term “aesthetic emotion” to describe a viewer’s cognitive response to a compelling work of art. “An artist,” he said, “has an innate sense of what tickles the parts of the brain that process visual cues.” If an artist tickles, I concluded, Mother Nature attacks.
We had planned this quick escape as a respite from winter doldrums and were granted perfect weather, in fact. Big Sur is known to have 300 days a year of sun, but after weeks of rain in Marin I wasn’t counting on
VITAMIN
V
MEGADOSING ON THE VIEWS IN BEAUTIFUL
BIG SUR
BY MIMI TOWLE
that, just a change of scene. Destination: the newly renovated Ventana Inn & Spa, the iconic artsy retreat now managed by the hotel company Joie de Vivre, known for its hip aesthetic and personal touches. I stayed at the Ventana 20 years ago and was looking forward to not just the views but notably the granola and sticky buns I remembered from the decadent breakfast buffet. I was also curious to see if time, renovations and new management had diluted the mellow Big Sur mystique.
While the 243 acres and 60 rooms and suites narrowly escaped the devastating Basin Complex fire of 2008, the on-site restaurant Cielo burned down in an unrelated kitchen fire shortly thereafter. Hence the entire property has had a major face-lift. The exterior sun-kissed cedar planks remain, but more than $26 million went into upgrades like expanded bathrooms with walk-in showers, new guest room furnishings, redone public spaces and restored pool areas.
Our room seemed right out of the pages of Dwell, a combination of rustic accents and modern luxury. A partially sunken tub offered views of the Pacific as well as the fireplace and the flat-screen TV. After settling in, we hiked the historic Old Coast Road, a rambling dirt lane at the property’s eastern edge with killer inclines and panoramas to match.
Later, we walked the picturesque quarter-mile path to the Restaurant at Ventana, formerly Cielo. We bypassed the swanky new bar area and sat down to dine in a cozy outdoor booth overlooking 50 miles of shore. Fog teased the horizon, eventually giving up; pelicans surfed the currents, and I viewed the setting sun through my glass of wine.
The next day, touring the property in a fluffy white spa robe, I found at least three hammocks I could have called home for the day. In honor
of the area’s bohemian history I headed for the clothing-optional pool— after all, when in Big Sur…. By the time I got there only a few guests were partaking and I lost my nerve. Still, it’s impressive that Joie de Vivre has kept the “be free” vibe alive. While there is much to see off premises, there is no need to leave. The granola and sticky buns (made by Enriqueta “Queta” Villalobos since 1981) are still served, along with an abundance of fresh fruits and treats from 7:30 to 10 a.m. daily. And besides the view from the room, there are two pools, miles of trails, an on-site spa, daily complimentary classes in yoga, tai chi and meditation, and a library, not to mention snagging a spot in one of the aforementioned hammocks.
Now I just have to hope a healthy two- or three-day dose of vitamin V might be covered by my health plan someday.
ABOVE FROM LEFT : One of two pools on the property; a perfectly positioned hammock for whale-watching or daydreaming; a newly renovated room.
Mill Valley resident David Martin has been playing disc golf for more than 20 years.
Disc Golfers Tee Off in Novato
BY SOMER FLAHERTY PHOTOS BARBARA RIES
IN ONE FLICK OF THE WRIST Brian Hauptman unleashes a disc uphill to the trees on hole one at Novato’s Stafford Lake Park. After he hikes to the fallen disc and makes a few more attempts, it sails into an awaiting metal basket, and Hauptman high-fives his opponent as they make their way to the next hole — where they’ll have to avoid a bevy of poison oak to land the shot.
As golf’s more relaxed cousin, disc golf is an easy sport to learn and play — yet still hard to excel at—and unlike traditional golf courses, which can require tremendous upkeep and high green fees, disc golf courses simply adapt to their surroundings, be it a densely wooded area or an overgrown field of grass. All that’s needed is a disc, which can be found for as little as a few dollars, and a metal basket (or even a simple target). Disc golf’s roots go back to “Steady Ed” Headrick, known as the “father of disc golf.” Headrick also founded the PDGA, the professional disc
15 years.
“I started by playing on Mount Tam, where we would play a great natural hole course using specific rocks and trees as the targets. To this day we still go up and play the course on Mount Tam.”
golf association, and is credited with patenting the design for the modern Frisbee.
Hauptman says the rules are simple. “When teeing off, don’t cross the front of the tee until you have let go of the disc.” The discs are divided into three basic types: putters, mid-range and drivers. Putters are designed to slowly fly straight, mid-range discs have slightly sharper edges, which allow them to cut through the air, and drivers have the sharpest edges and are the hardest to master. All of your next throws after the tee-off are then played from where the previous throw landed and the disc
farthest from the target throws first. The hole is complete when the target is hit or when the disc comes to rest in the basket.
“Disc golf officially has been around since the ’80s, but in the ’70s a lot of us in college would play Frisbee golf,” says Jim Waltermire, a Novato resident and volunteer coordinator/liaison between Marin County’s Department of Parks and Open Space and those who want to use the Novato course. “The game has now evolved where now we have special discs, not just Frisbees.”
The 139-acre Stafford Lake Park offers lake fishing, a nature trail, picnic areas and Marin’s only disc golf course. It has the longest Bay Area hole, at a distance of over 1,000 feet from tee to basket.
What also makes the Novato course special is that “it’s a big course and there are a lot of elevation changes,” Waltermire says. “There are uphill and downhill shots, whereas the other courses are just flat with trees.
Kentfield’s Jim Petersen has been playing the sport for more than
At Stafford Lake, when you play you’re going for a good three-mile hike.” The nearest other courses are up north in Ukiah, at Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa, at Aquatic Park in Berkeley and in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Mill Valley resident David Martin, who has been playing disc golf for more than 20 years, has traveled the world participating in disc sport tournaments and recently came in fifth place in the masters division at the Stafford Lake Open. In the 1980s Martin was invited to a game of the disc sport called Ultimate at the College of Marin while he was kicking around a Hacky Sack with friends. “It was there that I met all of the disc freaks and was soon playing disc golf too,” he recalls. “I started by playing on Mount Tam, where we would play a great natural hole course using specific rocks and trees as the targets. To this day we still go up and play the course on Mount Tam.”
To get involved in the sport, just go to any course and meet the players, Martin recommends. Most will be willing to help you learn and “probably set you up with discs to play with.” Waltermire, whose group United Flyers of
Sonoma (UFOS) started at Sonoma State in 1976, conducts a clinic for beginners at least once a year. And “every Saturday at noon there’s a weekly meet-up where we get out there and play random doubles,” he adds. “Anybody is welcome to come.”
RESOURCES
REI (Corte Madera) 415.927.1938, rei.com
Professional Disc Golf Association pdga.com
Stafford Lake disc golf course Jim Waltermire, 415.897.4093
JUNE ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE
THEATER
Ongoing Wicked The cultural phenomenon that got its start in San Francisco is back for an extended stay. There is still time to see the untold story of the witches of Oz. Orpheum Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com
Thru June 13 In the Heights Three generations deal with the changes that are coming to their tight-knit upper Manhattan community in this Tony nominated play featuring hip-hop and Latin music. Curran Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com
Thru June 20 Bone to Pick and Diadem
Two new plays with a modern twist on the Greek myth of the Minotaur and Ariadne. The theater is operated by Marin-based Rob Melrose and Paige Rogers. Cutting Ball Theater (SF). 800.838.3006, cuttingball.com
Thru June 20 Top Girls Set in the Top Girls Employment Agency in 1980s London, this play tells the tale of what it means to be a successful woman in the modern world. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com
Thru June 20 Woody Guthrie’s American Song This musical follows the legendary folksinger from coast to coast and features more than two dozen of his songs. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org
Thru August 29 Peter Pan This state-ofthe-art production experience brings J. M. Barrie’s classic story to life. Ferry Park (SF). 888.772.6849, peterpantheshow.com
3–27 The Tosca Project Actors and members of the San Francisco Ballet come togeth-
er for a world premiere of a story of love and betrayal set to a score of music ranging from Hendrix to Puccini. American Conservatory Theater (SF). 415.749.2228, act-sf.org
6, 12-13, 20 Guys and Dolls Mountain Play is back with a classic musical in a beautiful Mount Tamalpais location. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.1100, mountainplay.org
COMEDY
Tuesdays Mark Pitta and Friends Are the next big name in comedy? The popular local comic, Mark Pitta, hosts an evening for up-and-comers and established headliners to work on new material. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com
Guys and Dolls, at Mountain Play in June
PHOTO: ED SMITH
DANCE
Saturdays Boomercize Classes This low-impact fitness program features dance steps and music from the American Bandstand hit parade. Marcie Judelson leads the one-hour workout. Presidio Dance Theater (SF). 415.608.4503, boomercize.com
5 RoCo Dance Onstage More than 400 dancers take the stage in this high-energy progressive dance performance. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, rocodance.com
6 Bay West Ballroom All levels of ability are represented at this invitational showcase featuring ballroom, Latin and swing dancing styles. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, baywestballroom.com
6 The Magic of Oz Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Lion as you’ve never seen them at this Happy Feet dance class event. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, happyfeetmillvalley.com
MUSIC
Tuesdays Swing Fever The band pays tribute to jazz artists and composers, playing selections from its roster of over 1,000 tunes. Panama Hotel (San Rafael). 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com
Thru June 12 S.F. Jazz Spring Season
Bobby McFerrin, Booker T. and the Count Basie Orchestra are just a few of the many acts scheduled to play during the fivemonth-long concert series. 415.398.5655, sfjazz.org
3–5 Mayflower Community Chorus For the 30th year, 45 talented Marin residents led by Daniel Canosa perform traditional American, world and classical music. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, mayflowerchorus.org
4–6 Mill Valley Philharmonic The MVP concludes its 10th season with music from 1810, 1919 and a 2010 world pre-
music notes
THE SOUND OF SUMMER
New venues promise more live music in the North Bay BY
JONATHAN KORTY
Marin music fans have cause for celebration as not one but two new music venues open their doors this summer. In San Rafael, George’s is scheduled to debut in July at the old New George’s location on Fourth Street, and shows began at In The Woods Productions at the Masonic Hall in downtown Mill Valley last month.
George’s owner Todd Ghanizadeh (pictured above) sees his new venture as part of the rebirth of the central Marin arts scene. “This legendary spot has been empty for over five years,” Ghanizadeh says about the rehabbed location that now features a 1940s retro decor. “I want to make George’s better than it was before. I envision it as not just a nightclub but a community resource that will be transformative for the downtown area.” Once open, the club will be powered by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system, offer cuisine by former Panama Hotel chef Damian Salza and feature a mix of jazz, blues and rock. georgesnightclub.com
Ged Robertson, owner of Small Shed Flatbreads, is cooking up some change as well, as the man behind the opening of the new Mill Valley music space The Woods. “There has been a whole cultural interruption in southern Marin without live music,” he says. “But the music community, retailers, fans and the Masonic Lodge members, who realized they had an underutilized space, have all come together to make this happen.” The venue features a new stage and lighting as well as sound designed by Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and the schedule of bands is already filling up. “The townspeople danced on this old-growth bird’s-eye maple dance floor over 100 years ago,” Robertson adds. “I think that’s a tradition worth continuing.” woodsmv.com
miere featuring local composers Moses Sedler, Katrina Wreede and Alexis Alrich. 415.383.0930, millvalleyphilharmonic.org
5 Rowan Cunningham Band Music at the Mill Valley Masonic Lodge is back. Masonic Lodge (Mill Valley). 415.389.6637, woodsmv.com
13 Sexy Sunday A musicians’ showcase featuring female artists who rock. Peri’s Silver Dollar (Fairfax). 415.459.9910, krickie.com
17–19 SF Symphony Michael Tilson
Thomas conducts and Yuja Wang plays piano in this performance of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Thomas joins Wang on piano in a performance of Poulenc’s Sonata for Piano Four Hands. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org
20–28 Tiburon Music Festival A week of great music in a beautiful setting. Old St. Hilary’s (Tiburon). 415.457.5226, tiburonmusicfestival.org
20–August 22 Stern Grove Festival
The 73rd season of free outdoor concerts in one of San Francisco’s most beautiful and unique locations gets started. Stern Grove (SF). sterngrove.org
25 Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings This funk and soul band brings back the sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. The Warfield (SF). 415.567.2060, thewarfieldtheatre.com
26 Steve Earle “The Revolution Starts Now” as Earle takes the stage in a seated solo acoustic show. Great American Music Hall (SF). 888.233.0449, gamh.com
GALLERIES
MARIN
Acacia Gallery Work from Kathleen Lipinsky, Steve Emory, Birgitta Kappe, Lenona Winter and Laura Culver. 4162 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael. 415.479.3238, acaciagallery.net
Art Abloom Studio and Gallery Artwork on display and classes: Learn how to make you own works of art. 1527 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com
Art at the Cheese Factory See new, contemporary art works at this large gallery and extensive outdoor space. 7500 Red Hill Rd, Petaluma. artatthecheesefactory.org
Art Bar—Molinar Gallery Figurative sculptures and realism. 46 Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.5999, theartbar.us
Art Works Downtown Second Fridays art walk, June 11. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org
Jerry Stitt exhibits his watercolor scenes, thru June 17. 145 Rock Hill Dr, Tiburon. 415.383.9018, ccctiburon.org
Dominican Alemany Library Images from black-and-white photographer Evvy Eisen focusing on workers at the Drakes Bay Oyster Company. 50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael. 415.457.4440, dominican.edu
Donna Seager Gallery The Book Art Show, thru July. 851 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.454.4229, donnaseagergallery.com
Gallery 111 Surface/Tension: H20 Bay Area artists are featured at Gallery 111 and the Bay Model Visitor Center, thru July 11. 480 Gate Five Road (Sausalito). 415.331.2222, icbartists.com
Gallery 34 Collective of Bay Area artists’ work featuring jewelry, glass and paintings. See work from local artists in a variety of mediums. 34 Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.3999, gallery34.com
Gallery Bergelli Recurring Vision Exhibition of new paintings by Sanjay Vora. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, bergelli.com
Gallery Route One With the Earth Work from Mary Eubank, thru June 20. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org
Marin Society of Artists Portrait and Figures New work thru July 11. Enjoy a public reception and meet the artists at the June 6
Call the Shot!
opening. The MSA was founded in 1927 by a small group of artists and craftspeople who produced quality art. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org
Mona Lease Gallery Sudden Intended Exhilaration ... Art to Recall, thru July 18. 39 Greenbrae Boardwalk, Greenbrae. 415.461.3718, monalease.net
Northbay ArtWorks Rotating exhibits and classes. Learn to create your own art. 7049 Redwood Blvd, Ste 208, Novato. 415.892.8188, northbayartworks.com
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Wabi Sabi Mixed media juried by Phyllis Thelen. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org
Robert Allen Fine Art Through the Lens Group show June 10–July 30. 301
wellHow do youknow Marin?
Studio 333 “Why There Are Words,” literary series on the second Thursday of the month; “Sunset Poetry by the Bay” every third Wednesday. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info
Call the Shot has a simple premise: tell us what this is a picture of and win a gift certificate for dining at a local restaurant.
To win, you must be specific. Where is this nautically themed sculpture located? For extra credit, tell us what is it called?
Here’s how to play: Go to marinmagazine.com/shot, agree to the rules and submit your answer. Simple. We’ll choose the winner randomly from all the correct answers. Good luck!
And the winner is: Jen Bailey of Novato won April’s Call the Shot by identifying the P.F. Chang’s statue in Corte Madera.
Robert Beck Gallery Early California and contemporary plein air paintings on display. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898, beckgallery.org
Robert Green Fine Arts New works of acrylic on canvas by Ed Moses, thru August. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfinearts.com
Sam the Butcher Work from Leon Rosenblatt who recently recently completing a series of more than forty graphite drawings. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019, samthebutcherart.org
Smith Andersen North Vintage black-andwhite photography. 20 Greenfield Ave, San Anselmo. 415.455.9733, smithandersennorth.com
Studio 4 Art Work by local artists at this gallery and workshop offering materials and classes. 1133 Grant Ave, Novato. 415.596.5546, studio4art.net
The Image Flow Roman Ruins Work from photographer Henry Kam. 401 Miller Ave, Ste F, Mill Valley. 415.388.3569, theimageflow.com
Tomales Fine Art Contemporary art including landscapes, classic still lifes and figurative work. 27050 Maine St, Tomales. 707.878.2525, tomalesfineart.com
SAN FRANCISCO
ArtHaus On the Surface, thru June 26. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com
Berggruen Gallery New work from Christopher Brown and Diane Andrews Hall, thru June 26. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com
Cain Schulte Gallery Grand reopening and work from Henry Jackson. 251 Post St, 415.543.1550, cainschulte.com
Caldwell Snyder Gallery Work from Jane Maxwell, thru June. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com
Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery Abstract oil and canvas from Monroe Hodder. 49 Geary St, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com
George Krevsky Gallery The 13th Annual Art of Baseball Exhibition, thru June 19. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com
Gregory Lind Gallery You Would If You Loved Me Work from Reed Anderson. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com
Josh Hardy Galleries Early California and American fine art on display. 3350 Sacramento St, 415.345.1832, hardygalleries.com
Meyerovich Gallery Conceptual, Abstract and Still-Life Works on paper by Baldessari, Francis and Sultan, thru June 15. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com
Paul Mahder Gallery Contemplation
Walls Solo exhibit by Cynthia Jarvis, thru July. 3378 Sacramento St, 415.474.7707, paulmahdergallery.com
Rena Bransten Gallery John Waters, thru July 9. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com
Weinstein Gallery Recent paintings and important works on paper from Rudolf Bauer. 301 Geary St, 415.362.8151, weinstein.com
MUSEUMS
MARIN
Bay Area Discovery Museum Clap, jump, wiggle and sing along with Miss Kitty every Wednesday and Thursday (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org
Bolinas Museum H20—the Element of Water in Art Art that takes you to the water without getting you wet, thru June 13 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org
Falkirk Cultural Center The historic Queen Anne Victorian located in the heart of San Rafael is open to the public (San Rafael). 415.485.3438, falkirkculturalcenter.org
Marin History Museum The exhibit Growing the Future: Farming Families of Marin tells the history of farming in Marin, thru October. Also on display is the new exhibit Ranching and Rockin’ at Olompali, thru December (Boyd Gate House). 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art
Picture Novato A contemporary view of Novato celebrating the city of Novato’s 50th anniversary, thru June 13 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.com
Marin Museum of the American Indian The Hoopa Valley Tribe: People, Place and Culture, 1930-1960 This exhibit features
Butterflies/Dragonflies
Mark
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photography by Hoopa Valley Tribe member Ernest Marshall, thru September (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com
BAY AREA
Asian Art Museum Shanghai The exhibit features more than 130 oil paintings, Shanghai deco furniture and rugs, revolutionary posters, works of fashion, movie clips, and contemporary installations that tell the tale and history of one of Asia’s most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities, thru September 5 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org
California Academy of Sciences What Is Missing? A sculpture by renowned artist Maya Lin touches on themes of biodiversity and habitat loss. (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org
Conservatory of Flowers Chomp 2 Enter a garden of deadly delights with the return of the hit exhibition of carnivorous plants, thru October 31 (SF). 415.831.2090, conservatoryofflowers.org
Contemporary Jewish Museum “Our Struggle”: Responding to Mein Kampf Members of the public and artists answer artist Linda Ellia’s call to respond to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf by altering one of the book’s 600 pages, thru June 15 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org
de Young Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay This exhibit focuses on nearly 100 works painted in France during the mid-19th century that helped give birth to the artistic style known as impressionism. Works from Bouguereau, Courbet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Degas will be shown. The de Young is the only museum in the world to present two Musée d’Orsay exhibitions, thru September 6 (SF). 415.750.3600, thinker.org
di Rosa Preserve A Salute to Bay Area Emerging Artists The exhibition showcases the work of eight Bay Area artists who recently earned their MFA degrees at Bay Area schools, thru June 12 (Napa). 707.226.5991, dirosapreserve.org
Exploratorium Geometry Playground Use your hands, your body and your brain
The Stork has delivered the New Young America Collection. Come on in and take a peek!
myHaven Collection
isabella Collection all seasons collection
as you experience geometry in a whole new way. Put away those textbooks; this exhibit allows attendees to experience geometry by climbing inside 3-D shapes, watching themselves in a giant curved mirror and more, June 25–September 6 (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu
Legion of Honor Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine Irethorrou, the Fine Arts Museums’ mummy who has been on loan since 1944, returns for this exhibit taking a modern and scientific look at mummies, thru August 15 (SF). 415.750.3600, legionofhonor.org
San Francisco Museum of Craft and Folk Art Clare Rojas: We They, We They The San Francisco–based artist explores the boundaries between neo-folk and contemporary art, thru August 22 (SF). 415.227.4888, mocfa.org
SFMOMA The Anniversary Show More than 400 permanent collection works, including painting, sculpture, media arts, photography, architecture and design, as well as interpretive and archival materials, will be on display in celebration of the museum’s 75th anniversary thru January 16, 2011 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Renée Green: Endless Dreams and Time-Based Streams The largest United States exhibit from internationally known artist Renée Green, thru June 20 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org
EVENTS
Ongoing Film Night in the Park Bring your blankets, chairs and family for film night in the park at various Marin and San Francisco locations. Films in June are Napoleon Dynamite, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Star Trek and Grease. Check the website to confirm show times and locations. 415.272.2756, filmnight.org
Fridays, Saturdays Sunset Cruise Enjoy the sunset from onboard the Angel Island/Tiburon Ferry. (Tiburon). 415.435.2131, angelislandferry.com
Fridays Nights on Main Take in all the sights and sounds of downtown Tiburon’s
DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
OYSTER FARM: Photographs of the Drakes Bay Oyster Company by
Evvy Eisen
May 28 – June 28, 2010
San Marco Gallery, Alemany Library Dominican Campus
50 Acacia Avenue, San Rafael, California 94901 www.dominican.edu
historic Ark Row as Main Street is closed to vehicle traffic. Main Street (Tiburon). 415.435.5633, tiburonchamber.org
Sundays Knitting Group Join the Mill Valley Unity (EweKnitty) group and learn knitting tips and tricks. Starbucks on Camino Alto (Mill Valley). ravelry.com
Thru June Marin Charitable Association
Marin County nonprofit agencies have until June 30 to submit requests for grants that benefit youth in junior high or high school. marincharitable.org
Thru June Ethnic Dance Festival
Experience dance from styles from all over the world every Saturday and Sunday in June at this 32nd annual event. Palace of Fine Arts (SF). 415.392.4400, worldartswest.org
Thru June 5 Marin Designers Showcase
Bay Area designers are at their best as they style an 8,000-square-foot Georgian colonial estate in San Rafael. 415.479.5710, cvnl.org
2 Headlands Benefit Art Auction Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and the work of more than 85 artists at this benefit event. Herbst Exhibition Hall (SF). 415.331.2787, headlands.org/auction/
4 Legal Aid Gala The 52nd annual gala celebrates local heroes and benefits Legal Aid of Marin, an organization that provides high-quality legal representation and advice for seniors and low-income individuals. Community Center (Mill Valley). 415.492.0230, legalaidmarin.org
5 Walk for Hope Join City of Hope for a San Francisco walk to help fight and raise awareness about breast and gynecological cancers. Justin Herman Plaza (SF). 800.732.7140, cityofhope.org
5 Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour some of the best gardens in Belvedere, Ross and Tiburon, most of which are rarely ever open to the public. 888.842.2442, opendaysprogram.org
5-6 Art Deco and Modernism More than 150 dealers show and sell the best in modern and art deco design through
1980. Concourse Exhibition Center (SF). 650.599.3326, artdecosale.com
9 The Rowell Award Enjoy a “wild” evening with renowned mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears as he honors his friends Galen and Barbara Rowell. The 2009 Art of Adventure Award will also be presented to Craig Childs. Mark Hopkins (SF). rowellaward.com
10 Make Art Happen Enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres at this first-ever benefit event. Walt Disney Family Museum (SF). ya-nc.org
11 Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation
Enjoy champagne and appetizers and get a chance to meet NYOF founder Olga Murray. City Club (SF). 415.331.8585, nyof.org
12-13 Italian Street Painting Festival
Hundreds of madonnari (street painters) turn the gray asphalt of the streets of downtown San Rafael into colorful chalk images. Banda Italiana di Marin and ’Til Dawn also perform. Fifth Avenue and A Street (San Rafael). 415.457.4878, youthinarts.org
12-13 Festival of Art, Wine and Music Enjoy a day of great wine and music in Novato. Downtown (Novato). 415.897.1164, novatochamber.com
12-13 Fairfax Festival A celebration of summer featuring music, crafts and food, Fairfax style. Downtown (Fairfax). 415.717.5992, fairfaxfestival.com
13 Book Signing Meet fashion writer and author of What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life Kim Gross. 5200 Lucas Valley Road (Nicasio).
13 The Dipsea Race The 100th running of the oldest trail race in America takes place. Downtown (Mill Valley). 415.331.3550, dipsea.org
14 Golf Tournament Grab your clubs and lace up those shoes for the 16th annual Bank of Marin golf tournament benefiting Sunny Hills Services. The Meadow Club (Fairfax). 415.457.3200, sunnyhillsservices.org
16 Tam Valley Speaker Series Steffen Bartschat recently attended the National
Resource and Science Symposium that attracted scientists from national parks throughout Northern California. Find out what he learned and get updates on Marin Headlands and Presidio restoration projects. Tam Valley Community Center (Mill Valley). 415.388.6393, tcsd.us
17 Marin VEG The Marin Vegetarian Education Group presents the author of The World Peace Diet, Will Tuttle. Community Center (Mill Valley). 415.459.1666, marinveg.org
19 Thriving 2010 Enjoy local artists performing in celebration of those who continue to thrive while managing type 1 diabetes. College of Marin Theater (Kentfield). 415.927.6270, thrivingmarin2010.com
19 Tiburon Classic Car Show Experience the beauty of classic cars produced before 1971 at this annual community event. Shoreline Park (Tiburon). 415.297.2615, tiburonclassiccarshow.org
19 Kidzstock Joan Baez is the special guest at this all-day musical festival and concert featuring 20 young Marin County musicians playing with the folksinger. The event benefits Cascade Canyon School in Fairfax. CCS (Fairfax). 415.847.7546, ccskidzstock.org
23–27 Sonoma-Marin Fair Celebrate summer’s bounty at this annual event featuring everything from wine tasting and pig racing to garden talks and an ugliest dog contest. (Petaluma). 707.283.3247, sonoma-marinfair.org
19-20 Marin Art Festival One of the most beautiful outdoor festivals in the nation features work from more than 250 artists from all across the country as well as music, dance and art projects for children. Lagoon Park (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marinartfestival.com
27 Ross Valley Players’ 80th Anniversary Celebrate 80 years of independent theater with food, drink, a trivia contest and scenes from some of the theater’s best plays. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com
27 Mill Valley Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting More than 70 domestic and
S ANDRA B IRD D ESIGNS
A D ESIGN /B UILD
F IRM
SUMMER READING
BY JIM WOOD
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende, Harper, $26.99. The San Rafael novelist’s latest is set in Haiti during the late 18th century. Into the mix go slavery, a courtesan, voodoo healings and sexual servitude. The main character is Zarite and her unrelenting drive toward freedom after being sold into slavery at age nine.
Dipsea, The Greatest Race by Barry Spitz, Potrero Meadow Publishing, $35. Celebrating the Dipsea’s 100th running, this revised edition of Spitz’s sold-out 1993 classic features all 100 races with new photographs (many in color) and a topo of the Dipsea Trail. Will not be sold in stores, only online at dipseabook.com.
Giants: Past & Present by Dan Frost, MVP Books, $25. “The book I’ve been waiting a lifetime for,” writes one reader. “If you’re a Giants fan, you need this book,” says another. Over a century of Giants teams and stars from both coasts. Frost, from San Rafael, is a former Marin I.J. and S.F. Chronicle sports writer.
SAVE OUR SEALS. SAVE OURSELVES. Seals are more than lovable, intelligent creatures. They are mammals, just like us. And when something in the ocean makes them sick, it means we too are at risk. The Marine Mammal Center is dedicated to rehabilitating these sentinels of the sea, and uncovering the important ways we are connected.
Find out how you can visit today at MarineMammalCenter.org
The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters, Clarkson Potter, $35. Waters, of Chez Panisse-fame, has a home in Bolinas. This 416-page book is her cooking philosophy. Written to free readers from relying on recipes; it promotes locally grown, high quality foods.
Space donated by
international vintners are joined by food vendors, local restaurants and live jazz performers. Downtown (Mill Valley). 415.388.9700, millvalley.org
30 Tam Valley Speaker Series Marin County historian and rail fan discusses and shows photos of local and historic railroads. Learn the importance these systems once had in the Bay Area. Tam Valley Community Center (Mill Valley). 415.388.6393, tcsd.us
NATURE WALKS/TALKS
Ongoing Sonoma History Local actor George Webber morphs into Mariano G. Vallejo as he retells the history of Sonoma (Sonoma). 707.694.5097, georgewebber.com
5 Sunset Hike and Dine Join this local club for a monthly two-hour hike on moderate to steep trails on Mount Tamalpais with a mid-hike wine and cheese break. Reservations required. Meet other avid Marin hikers. Mountain Home Inn (Mill Valley). 415.331.0100, meetup.com/sunsethike
8–September 11 Marine Mammal Center
Enjoy expanded tours and views into life at the Marine Mammal Center this summer. The center’s core work is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured marine mammals. Marin Headlands (Sausalito). 415.289.7325, marinemammalcenter.org
16 Marin Scuba Club Art Haseltine discusses underwater and aerial photography at this club meeting for local divers. The Flatiron Saloon (San Rafael). 415.453.9556, marinscuba.org
19 Sunset Hike and Dine Join this local club for a monthly two-hour hike on moderate to steep trails on Mount Tamalpais with a mid-hike wine and cheese break. Reservations required. Meet other avid Marin hikers. Mountain Home Inn (Mill Valley). 415.331.0100, meetup.com/sunsethike
26 Moonlight Hike Join the Marin Moonshiners for a monthly three-mile hike to experience the sunset, moonrise and a picnic. Reservations required. Meet other people interested in the great outdoors. Pelican Inn
26 WildCare Family Adventures Walk along the shore of San Francisco Bay and look for creatures living in the marsh and mud, including California clapper rails, crabs and spiders. WildCare is an urban wildlife rehabilitation center founded in 1974 that treats up to 4,000 sick, injured or orphaned animals a year. Pickleweed Community Center (San Rafael). 415.453.1000, wildcarebayarea.org
RETAIL THERAPY
Wine Road Northern Sonoma County Art and wine—what could be better? This year the Wine Road is partnering with Art at the Source to feature the work of local painters, sculptors, photographers, potters, jewelers, fiber artists and glass artists whose work will appear at more than 30 Wine Road members’ tasting rooms in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys. 800.723.6336, wineroad.com
Out and About
Pigs and Pinot Foodies (and our own local celebrity chefs) gathered at Hotel Healdsburg and Dry Creek Kitchen for the sold-out Pigs and Pinot event. The weekend kicked off with a tasting of over 50 pinot noir’s alongside pork-themed appetizers. All proceeds from Pigs and Pinot benefited Share Our Strength and local Healdsburg education programs. Right, Sammy Hagar, Tyler Florence.
At the annual Raccoon Ball, presented by the Raccoon Branch of Marin General Hospital Volunteers, guests donned their best saris for a “Mumbai Magic” theme and an evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing. Proceeds supported the Marin General Hospital programs. Below, Karin Peters, Christina Perozzi; left, Karen and Tom Akin.
Over 1,000 guests attended Marin Catholic High School’s annual fashion show at the Marin Civic Center Exhibit Hall. The event featured 275 Marin Catholic student models who wore clothing donated by 25 local boutiques. Over $300,000 was raised to benefit Marin Catholic High School. Left, Kathleen Woodcock, Kathy Ryan, Father Thomas Daly, Susan Conroy, Lindsay Holt,
At Image Flow gallery in Mill Valley, Photographer Henrik Kam showed his latest work, Roman Ruins, on opening night. Above, Henrik Kam, Stuart Schwartz.
Ribbon Cutting At the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Cancer Center at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco, San Rafael resident Bruce Burtch greeted Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
Jewish Family and Children’s Services held its 160th Anniversary Gala and Fammy Awards at the San Francisco Ritz-Carlton. The Fammy Awards program honored community members for their strength and generosity. All proceeds from the event benefitted children, families and elderly in crisis. Left, Karen Hersh, Diane Zack.
At the Redwoods’ 18th annual “Senior Prom” residents of the Mill Valley retirement community and students from the Tamalpais High School leadership class danced the night away and then crowned their 99-yearold prom queen Jean Murphy and their 96-year-old prom king Martin Friedman (seen below); right, Dekoa Field, Ed Eilliott.
Around Town
American Conservatory Theater’s Crystal Ball at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ Forum raised more than $670,000 for ACT’s conservatory programs. Guests were treated to a performance by Tony Award winner and ACT Master of Fine Arts program alumna Anika Noni Rose. Left, Michael Nguyen, Nancy Livingston, James C. Hormel.
At Bread and Roses’ recent benefit concert at Teatro ZinZanni guests were treated to a perfomance by Lara Johnston and her father, Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers. Bread and Roses produces over 600 concerts a year that help bring live music to audiences throughout the Bay Area. Above, Susan Gilardi, Sudha Pennathur; above right, Cassandra Flipper, Tucky Pogue; right, Lara Johnston, Tom Johnston.
VIEW MORE SNAP SHOT PHOTOS ONLINE AT MARINMAGAZINE.COM/SNAP
Summertime Smoothies!
WOMB-MATES Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford of Corte Madera have shared many things in life, including a passion for food. Together these identical twins have worked as caterers (Thymes Two catering), written cookbooks (eight and counting) and enjoy the art of entertaining their own families. “Our parents loved great food and were avid entertainers,” Mary recalls, “Observing them having so much fun around the dinner table, I’m sure had an influence on what we wanted to do with our lives.” Today, due to the demands of their own young children (Sara has 3 boys, Mary 3 girls) the twins are no longer in the catering business, but instead spend their time as authors, bloggers and food fanatics who are devoted to cooking fresh and healthy food for their families. Their latest book, Super Charged Smoothies, published by Chronicle Books is packed with easy (let’s assume) recipes, just in time for bikini season.
When did you realize you could cook as a career?
We realized we could cook as a business at our first catering job for our dear friend who runs Invisible Chef Catering. We figured, if she can do it, we can too.
GOJI GREATNESS
Do you have non-dairy smoothie recipes in the book? Sure — with over 60 recipes, we have just about every sort of smoothie you can imagine.
Do you have a favorite smoothie flavor? We are both into green smoothies. Mary’s current favorite includes apple juice, a handful of fresh mint, parsley, lemon, apple and cucumber. Sara’s is a combo of carrot juice (diluted with some water), strawberries, ½ of a ripe banana, 2 handfuls of spinach and a cup of chia gel.
Goji berries may look like shriveled red raisins and taste a tad seedy on their own, but blended in this smoothie, the little berries transform into goji greatness. Used for some six thousand years by herbalists in China, Tibet, and India, this dried berry is loaded with antioxidants. Truly a wonder fruit, goji berries are thought to improve eyesight, protect the liver, promote longevity, and boost the immune system. Om, meet yum!
1 cup goji juice or apple juice
1 D⁄e cups frozen strawberries
B⁄c cup passion-fruit sorbet
2 tbsp goji berries
Combine the goji juice, strawberries, and sorbet in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the goji berries and pulse until well incorporated. Makes about 2 B c cups; serves 2
DINE OUT
CORTE MADERA
A.G. FERRARI Italian delicatessen Yes it’s a chain, but it’s a good one. A.G. Ferrari, where a third-generation Italian family mixes delicatessen with specialty fine foods. House-made spinachand-ricotta ravioli smothered in organic tomato sauce with fresh vegetables will impress any dinner guest. 107 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.4347, agferrari.com
BENISSIMO Italian Benissimo means “really really good” in Italian. From margherita pizza to veal parmigiana to mocha mud pie, Benissimo serves a taste of Italy in a casual neighborhood venue. 18 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.2316, benissimos.com
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN Cal/Eclectic Be prepared for chaos. Easy place to meet with kids; Mom/Dad can enjoy a tasty Thai crunch salad and decent glass of wine while the little ones feast on basic kid-size portions of pasta and pizza. 347 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.0401, cpk.com
CHAMPAGNE BAKERY French This casual bakery displays fresh-made pastries, croissants, tarts, cookies and cakes, to be enjoyed indoors or out on the patio. Brioche French toast and the French dip sandwich with Swiss cheese are among the many menu options. Catering is also available. 103 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.5470, champagnebakery.com
IL FORNAIO Italian Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian 23-restaurant franchise. Besides the award-winning breads, pizzas and pastas, the menu boasts a variety of salads and noncarb entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com
IZZY’S STEAKS & CHOP HOUSE American The legendary San Francisco steak house has moved north. Known for great steaks and seafood as well as its fine wine selection, this is a great spot for a group or intimate dinner for two. 55 Tamal Vista, 415.924.3366, izzysrestaurant.com
LA MAISON DE LA REINE Vietnamese A refreshing change amid the plethora of Italian, Mexican and Chinese options. The crunchy cabbage chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls, and combinations of pho are delicious. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288, lmvietnamese-cuisine.com
MARIN JOE’S Italian Pasta and other Italian dishes have been served here for over 50 years. Pick from soup, salad, seafood mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats and over 10 pasta options guaranteed to satisfy. Have a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marinjoesrestaurant.com
MAX’S CAFE American Located across from Town Center, Max’s is known for casual ambience and large portions. The menu changes with the season but features year-round favorites like matzo ball soup and BLTs. Besides decadent portions or comfort food and desserts, the menu also offers seasonable local produce and healthy items too. 60 Madera Blvd, 415.924.6297, maxsworld.com
PACIFIC CATCH Pan-Asian This well-priced fresh grill eatery offers a bounty of Pacific Rim —inspired small or main plates, like the generously portioned wasabi bowls filled with rice (white or brown), veggies and your choice of cooked or raw fish, chicken or beef. Modeled after the Paia Fish House on Maui down to the chalk board menu and Hawaiian music. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.com
P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO Chinese The combination of an attentive staff, lively atmosphere and consistently delicious meals makes for a solid dining experience. Items like the lettuce wraps and Mongolian beef keep the customers loyal. 301 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.413.9890, pfchangs.com
RICK’S WINE CELLAR California This one-room bar and wine shop is located in the same spot where Marin’s first wine bar opened back in 1988. Now it’s owned and operated by Marin natives Rick and Candy Mendell, whose customers call it the “Cheers of Corte Madera.” Offerings include a glass, a flight or a bottle, all of which pair nicely with the cheeses, salami and hot paninis. 207 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.9466, rickswinecellar.com
FAIRFAX
CHAD’S GARDEN & GRILL CAFE Italian Pop in for a fennel-apple-and-walnut salad on the deck or
one of the savory paninis or wraps. Menu includes lots of healthy vegetarian selections. 85 Bolinas Rd, 415.454.7864, chadscafe.com
DEER PARK VILLA Italian This “best place for a party” (Pacific Sun) sits on four garden acres; the Ghiringhelli family has been turning out Italian favorites here since 1937. Come for the famous veal parmesan—or your next big celebration. 367 Bolinas Rd, 415.456.8084, deerparkvilla.com
FRADELIZIO’S Italian Home-style comfort food, fresh fish, and good wine add up to an excellent place for a family night out. Don’t miss the homemade gnocchi or the organic polenta dishes.On Tuesdays the restaurant has live music until 9 p.m. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618, fradelizios.com
IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American
Grab a beer and a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich—which one Chronicle reviewer calls “the best mushroom dish I have ever tasted”—at the former Ross Valley Brewing Company. 765-A Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com
PANCHO VILLA’S Mexican Since 1976, head chef Francisco has been turning out treats like chile relleno stuffed with jack cheese, cilantro and onion and crab enchiladas topped with a mild tomatillo sauce and sour cream. Don’t miss the restaurant’s signature margarita. On Tuesdays kids eat free and happy hour is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the main bar. 1625 Sir Frances Drake Blvd, 415.456.4331, panchosfairfax.com
SORELLA CAFFÉ Italian Open for over six years, and run by sisters Sonia and Soyara, Sorella, which means ‘sisters’ serves up fresh Italian food with a Northern influence. Customer favorites include ciopino, butternut ravioli, and eggplant parmesan. Another highlight is the giant wheel of
Grana Padana cheese, which is passed around the tables.Easy place to bring the kids. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520, sorellacaffe.com
GREENBRAE
CAFE Z American A pleasant surprise in the Bon Air shopping mall. Dishes like grilled chicken pesto panini and savory crepes have quickly made this intimate spot a local favorite, and inventive meals keep people coming back for more. 282 Bon Air Center, 415.461.9444, cafez.com
JASON’S Italian The restaurant’s Greenbrae location (it was formerly on Andersen Drive in San Rafael) fills the space that was formerly Giorgio’s. A crowd of regulars enjoys creative seafood dishes with Italian flair. Enjoy the ceviche, crab cakes or blackened salmon on the large outdoor covered patio. 300 Drakes Landing Rd, 415.925.0808, jasonsrestaurant.com
WIPEOUT BAR & GRILL American Who says you can’t go back to being a carefree teenager for a night? This family-friendly hot spot has surfboards hanging from the ceiling, fun-in-the-sun music, a full bar and large televisions displaying surfers riding waves. The only thing missing is the sand at this surf-style, upbeat eatery. 302 Bon Air Center, 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com
KENTFIELD
HALF DAY CAFE American A tucked-away setting of intertwining ivy and large open windows makes the perfect breakfast nook. Serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, the setting is casual and can get crowded on the weekends. The menu includes lattes, exceptional pastries and much more. Dine on the outdoor patio or inside. 848 College Ave, 415.459.0291, halfdaycafe.com
LARKSPUR
CJ CHINESE CUISINE Chinese A great place to satisfy a craving for wonton soup before catching a show at the Lark Theater. Lunch and takeout are popular too, but the outdoor patio steals the show. 435 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0717
E & 0 TRADING COMPANY Southeast Asian New chef Arnold Eric Wong is keeping the restaurant’s innovative plates as tasty as ever. Without reservations, try a spot at the large communall table. 2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.0303, eotrading.com
EMPORIO RULLI Italian Pastry chef Gary Rulli is renowned for his Northern Italian specialties and treats. The Larkspur location (there are three others) is a popular spot for lunch as well as coffee and a morning sweet. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com
FABRIZIO RISTORANTE Italian Traditional Italian dishes with an extensive wine list from regions all over Italy; outside seating makes the experience even more special. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332, fabriziorestaurant.com
Larkspur’s
LEFT BANK RESTAURANT French Known for award-winning French cuisine and its lively brasserie ambience, this corner spot has rated high with locals for well over a decade. Those with a petite appetite/budget can opt for happy hour (4–6:30 M–F) and enjoy appetizers, all priced under three dollars. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com
MARIN BREWING CO American Grab a cold beer made right on site and pair it with fish and chips—fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce. 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com
PICCO California Chef and celebrated restaurateur Bruce Hill deserves the accolades he has received for this eclectic shared-plate heaven. Dishes like mini-burgers and seasonally driven menu items, along with risotto made every half hour, keep people coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) but already famous for its wood-fired pizzas, great wine selection and soft-serve Straus Family Creamery ice cream. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com
RUSTIC BAKERY California Organic mouthwatering pastries, breads, and sandwiches are on the menu here including Meyer lemon mascarpone danishes and bacon, avocado and heirloom tomato sandwich with mesclun. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556, rusticbakery.com
TABLE CAFÉ Indian/American Indian-inspired cafe offers a unique menu featuring entirely organic ingredients. Dishes include seasonal salads, incredible soups and fresh juices. The specialty of the house is dosa, filled with a variety of ingredients and served with savory homemade chutneys. You can also take home a choice of three or four gourmet dinners freshly packed daily. 1167 Magnolia Ave, 415.461.6787
TAM CELLARS Wine bar This wine shop includes an elegant bar with seating for up to 36 people, 30 wines by the glass and tasting flights. Tam Cellars specializes in hard-to-find wines and smallproduction wineries. Enjoy a glass or bottle to pair with the selection of appetizers. Live music on Thursdays. 1803 Larkspur Landing, 415.461.9463, tamcellars.com
TAVERN AT LARK CREEK American The next chapter in the 1888 Victorian Murphy House is being written by chef Randy Lewis and culinary director Adrian Hoffman. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7766, tavernatlarkcreek.com
THE MELTING POT French Just across the street from the Larkspur Ferry terminal. Share the “Big Night Out” feast featuring chef’s specialties, or design your own spread with cheese fondue, salad, choice of meat entrée and chocolate dessert. 125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.461.6358, themeltingpot. com
YANKEE PIER American This family-friendly casual clam shack is harbored in a quaint house built in 1924 as a private residence. Though known for beer-battered fish’n’ chips, clam chowder and
For over 30 years Plath & Company has been building dreams into reality from custom home building, renovation and remodeling to historic rehabilitation and commercial construction.
tasty salads, Yankee Pier serves fresh seafood delivered daily from both coasts. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com
MILL VALLEY
AVATAR’S PUNJABI BURRITOS Indian A small and friendly place with only a few tables but myriad Indian-inspired burrito dishes to choose from. Try the curry chicken or Jamaican jerk wrapped in warm naan. Cash only, but worth the trip to the ATM. 15 Madrona St, 415.381.8293
BALBOA CAFE MILL VALLEY California The San Francisco institution has already become a place to see and be seen in Mill Valley, especially after the 142 Throckmorton Comedy nights. Come for the pan-roasted Alaskan halibut or risotto but stay for the amazing burgers. The restaurant bar can fill up fast, go early to get a seat and enjoy the people watching. 38 Miller Ave, 415.381.7321, balboacafe.com
BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food-type menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm dark-wooded bar with red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com
BUNGALOW 44 American Much like sister restaurant Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 offers a mean dose of homey carbo- and lipid-
laden dishes, such as the burger, fried chicken and truffle fries, as well as a few lighter items. The bar is a neighborhood favorite, known for tasty spirits and eye candy. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com
CACTUS CAFE AND TAQUERIA Mexican Tucked in a little nook across from Whole Foods, this is the perfect spot to sit down with the family or grab burritos to go. The burritos themselves are enormous and the tacos are out of this world. Their signature creamy Diablo sauce has a spicy kick to it and is favored by the locals. 393 Miller Ave, 415.388.8226
CAFE DEL SOUL California Beware of addiction. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh Hummus Yummus wrap, you’ll have to come back to sample the chipotle Sunrise Rice Bowl; then it will be the Thai It Up wrap with peanut sauce that brings you back. Casual lunch spot, vegetarian options, great for takeout and there are a few tables for outdoor seating. 247 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net
DIPSEA CAFE Comfort One word: biscuits. This longtime breakfast spot has been serving up tasty pancakes and egg dishes with homemade biscuits since 1986. Try a biscuit with a poached egg, a biscuit with sausage—or just plain butter. Lunch specialties include BLTs and tuna melts and generous Cobb salads. Now serving dinner. 200 Shoreline Hwy, 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com
FRANTOIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive
oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this is a great location for an intimate dinner, large groups and anything in between. Happy hour starts at 4:30 in the sizable, comfortable bar area, where you can snack on antipasti or order your whole meal. Owned by Roberto Zecca and Chef Duilio Valenti, both from Milano; the kitchen uses local and organic ingredients—it’s the Italian way. For special occasions reserve the olive-press room. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.com
INDIA PALACE Indian Known as “that great restaurant in the Travelodge,” India Palace is a favorite among the takeout crowd; however, eating on site is a treat too. 707 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.3350
GIRA POLLI Italian Not in the mood to cook? Pick up a wood-fired rotisserie chicken or family dinner from this hot spot, or stick around for the specialty pasta and a glass of wine. Save room for dessert, locals rave about the restaurant’s cannolis. 590 East Blithedale Ave, 415.383.6040
HARMONY Chinese Dishes here are an infusion of many flavors. Great Chinese chicken salad. The barbecue pork bun is filled with house-made roasted meat in a savory sauce; fresh mussels are accented with red chili and Thai basil. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea. Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmonyrestaurantgroup.com
JOE’S TACO LOUNGE Mexican Colorful interior and (usually) quick service makes this a fun, easy stop. And if there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal, takeout is easy too. Alone? Grab a magazine and seat at the counter and enjoy the action. 382 Miller, 415.383.8164
LA BOULANGE BAKERY Take your pastries and coffee in a bowl and lounge on the patio for a relaxing morning as you’re practically transported to Paris at this adorable bakery. The staff is professional and friendly. Be sure to try their outstanding breads, as they’ll put your standard sandwich bread to shame. 800 Redwood Hwy, 415.381.1260, baybread.com
LA GINESTRA Italian A favorite family spot for over 30 years; getting a table or booth can take a while. While this old-school Italian eatery is known for traditional pastas, veal dishes, pizzas and dry martinis, the familiar wait staff is also part of the attraction. The bar fills up fast with regulars, get a seat early to enjoy the people watching. 127 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0224
LUCINDA’S MEXICAN FOOD Mexican This closet-sized eatery off the highway is treasured by regulars for its friendly service and authentic Mexican food. Ingredients are fresh and burritos are highly recommended. Dining space itself is tiny, so call ahead to bypass the line and bring your mouth-watering meal back to the office. 930 Redwood Hwy, 415.3880754
MAMA’S ROYAL CAFE American Old-timers love this fabulous kitsch-decorated breakfast spot. The menu offers crepes, brioche French toast and other a.m. specialties served all day; stay awhile and try the sandwiches for lunch. 387 Miller Ave, 415.388.3261
Summer drinks at Pacific Catch in Town Center
PHOTO: ERIC RORER
MILL VALLEY COFFEE SHOP American Sure, it could use a steam clean, but the regulars keep coming back for the pancakes and eggs. Great place to bring the kids and grab a cup of coffee. 4 Locust Ave, 415.388.6958
PEARL’S PHAT BURGERS American Deemed by the New York Times, as a silver-spoon alternative to a greasy spoon diner, Pearl’s “hipster denizen” (another NYT phrasing) are loyal to the these big juicy -all natural patties (vegetarian, turkey, beef, buffalo or grilled chicken) served up with tasty sides such as garlic, or sweet potato fries, shakes and seasonal fruit whirls (smoothies). Eatin if you can get a seat, or better yet be a hero and take it home for dinner. 8 East Blithedale Ave. 415.381.6010
PIAZZA D’ANGELO Italian It’s always a party at this long-standing hot spot. A great place to meet up with friends for a fresh plate of pasta, zuppa di pesce or pollo novello, or make some new friends at the bar. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com
PIATTI RISTORANTE AND BAR Italian The staff prides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Try for a table at the window for a truly exceptional view right on the water. Take a peek at the impressive collection of Italian wines to go with your rustic seasonal Italian meal. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com
ROBATA GRILL AND SUSHI Japanese Robata translates as “by the fireside”; fittingly, food here can be cooked on an open fire and served in appetizersize portions to pass around the table. Or simply order your own sushi or entree fron the menu. 591 Redwood Hwy, 415.381.8400, robatagrill.com
SMALL SHED FLATBREADS California As a slow food chef, Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. Crowd favorites include the mt. tamal-pie, a delicious fresh salad atop a flatbread. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, smallshed.com
THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of the new Strawberry Village. Diners come for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444, theplela.com
TOAST American Take the kids for an omelet or pancake breakfast at this cozy venue; lunch and dinner, too. 31 Sunnyside Ave, 415.388.2500, toastmillvalley.com
TONY TUTTO PIZZA Italian Artisan-style pizza using natural and local organic ingredients. Mostly outdoor seating. Stop by or take out. 246 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.383.8646, tonytuttopizza.com
TSUKIJI SUSHI Japanese Named for the largest fish market in world, Tsukiji is owned by Roy and Chanel Liu. The couple earned their sushi stripes operating Morpho in San Francisco and Akira in San Rafael. Helping then behind the sushi bar is former Sushi Ran head sushi chef, Haruo Komatsu. The Tokyo Tsukiji fish market is where all the fish is sourced. 24 Sunnyside Ave. 415.383.1382
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BLUESTONE MAIN
VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience at this one-room and very popular trattoria. A perfect place to dine before or after a movie. Try one of the restaurant’s pasta dishes or thin-crust pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343
NOVATO
BOCA STEAK & SEAFOOD South American Celebrate a special event at this classic steakhouse, which celebrates chef George Morrone’s (Aqua, Fifth Floor) Argentinean heritage. The grass- and grain- fed steaks are cooked over oak and almond but don’t miss trying the Boca Burger. For dessert try the Argentine-inspired options. 340 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.0901, bocasteak.com
CACTI GRILL American Grill The family-friendly restaurant boasts a covered patio and serves a 21-day dry-aged steak and filet mignon enchiladas. 1200 Grant Ave, 415.898.2234, cactigrill.com
EL ENCANTO Mexican Barbed wire orbs, lights, festive music, and an addictive bean dip sets this restaurant apart from others in Marin. The sting of waiting for a table can be relieved by the En Canto House Margarita on the patio. 940 Seventh St, 415.892.1471, encantorestaurant.com
FINNEGAN’S MARIN American This pub-style restaurant features grilled flatbread pizzas, a New York steak, garlic herb chicken and a braised beef and pork ragu that will really stick to your ribs. Wine, beer and cocktails are available. 877 Grant Ave, 415.899.1516, finnegansmarin.com
GRAZIE Italian Locals love this family-owned and -run Grant Avenue restaurant for delicious paninis, salads and the unbeatable homemade cookies. Enjoy good weather on the outside patio or people watch in this always-bustling restaurant. 823 Grant Ave, Ste E, 415.878.0202
PORTELLI ROSSI Italian This casual cafe offers huge portions (most priced under $20), a garden patio and a family-friendly environment. Stop in on Saturday and Sunday nights for the live jazz band on the patio. The early-bird special includes a three-course meal for only $12 every night if you’re seated before 6 p.m. Closed Mondays. 868 Grant Ave, 415.892.6100, portellirossi.com
SONOMA LATINA GRILL Mexican As if Novato didn’t already have some great taquerias, the owners of La Tortilla Factory in Sonoma have brought us Sonoma Latina Grill. The menu includes standbys like tacos, burritos and enchiladas made with fresh, local and organic ingredients, plus a list of favorites from the Sonoma location. In keeping with the fresh/non-processed theme, the tortillas are made by hand with natural and organic whole grains. 5800 Nave Dr, 415.883.2662, sonomalatinagrill.com
TOAST American Sister to the popular Mill Valley location, Toast Novato features outdoor dining and architecture by Stanley Saitowitz. The Novato location still has the great dishes by executive
chef Michael Garcia that have made the southern Marin spot a not-to-be-missed destination. Don’t miss the build-your-own-burger option. 5800 Nave Dr, 415.382.1144, toastnovato.com
TUSCANY COUNTRY GRILL Italian The Chicken Pesto Panini and Eggplant Parmagina are among many of the favorites at this charming and spacious Italian eatery. The menu is eclectic, prices are fair and the portions are enormous, so be prepared for leftovers throughout the week. It brings in a bit of traffic during lunchtime so make reservations or arrive early. 1516 Grant Ave, 998.2800
WILDFOX American Perched on the hillside off Highway 101, this rustic mesquite grill offers a menu full of comfort food and drinks, like the smooth cosmos, and seafood risotto, with bits of butternut squash. 225 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.9125, wildfoxrestaurant.com
ROSS
CAFE ON THE COMMON French A quaint oneroom coffeehouse centrally situated near Ross Common. Get there early for the full selection of pastries. 22 Ross Common, 415.461.2205
MARCHÉ AUX FLEURS French This gem of a restaurant serves up locally farmed produce, wild and fresh seafood and free-range meats prepared with an artisan’s touch. 23 Ross Common, 415.925.9200, marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com
TRATTORIA FRESCO Italian Every neighborhood deserves a one-room trattoria like this one. The service is friendly and the farmers’market-fresh food is fabulous—especially the gnocchi. 13 Ross Common, 415.464.0915, frescotrattoria.com
SAN ANSELMO
AVA California Chef Dan Baker, of Marché aux Fleurs in Ross, has another winner with AVA, which features a California-only wine list and a menu where nearly all the ingredients come from within 100 miles—if not the Marin County Farmers’ Market. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3407, avamarin.com
BUBBA’S DINER American Kids will be begging for seconds and so will adults at this hopping local hangout. Burgers, shakes and fries and homemade apple pie. 566 San Anselmo Ave, 415.459.6862, bubbas-diner.net
COMFORTS Cafe Be sure to try the Philly cheesesteak and Chinese chicken salad, both classics, at this cozy spot. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com
CUCINA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR
Italian Relax with a glass of wine and have a slice from the to-die-for thin pizzas, topped with items like truffle oil and fontina cheese. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942, cucinarestaurantandwinebar.com
DREAM FARM California A taste of rural Marin in downtown San Anselmo. Best yet is the price point: dishes range from under $6 to nothing over $20. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, dreamfarmmarin.com
INSALATA’S Mediterranean Award-winning chef Heidi Insalata Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with local organic produce and artisan meats. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com
LOCOCO’S PIZZERIA Italian The pizza crust and house salad are divine. Good spot to come with the entire family. Closed Mondays. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.1238, lococossananselmo.com
MARINITAS Mexican It may not be as cheap as most Mexican restaurants in the area, but this is not your typical south-of-the-border spot. The festive atmosphere complements the excellent food for a classy, lively experience. Finish strong with the rich Tres Leches Cake. This place gets packed, so make reservations. 218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.454.8900, marinitas.net
ORCHID THAI Thai Owners Peggy and Tom Thongnopneua create an inviting atmosphere with their warm smiles and helpful menu suggestions. The fare here has won “Best of Marin” awards many times over. 726 San Anselmo Ave, 415.457.9470, orchidthairestaurant.com
TACO JANE’S Mexican Named after the owner’s mother, this casual but colorful place welcomes the whole family. Don’t miss out on Jane’s handmade agave margarita or plantains with Jane’s crema. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com
SAN GERONIMO
RED TAIL BAR & GRILL California The beautiful views overlooking the San Geronimo Valley redwoods and wildlife will captivate you while you indulge in the new menu featuring West Marin meats, cheeses and produce. 5800 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.488.4030
TWO BIRD CAFÉ California This roadside cafe has it all, including fresh fish and goodies from the garden. These guys were doing local even before it was popular. 625 San Geronimo Valley Dr, 415.488.0105, twobirdcafe.com
SAN RAFAEL
BOMBAY GARDEN Indian The restaurant offers a large menu of richly flavored Northern and Southern Indian Cuisine. There are often Bollywood movies or videos playing on a flat-screen TV to add a little entertainment to the meal. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555, dinebombaygarden.com
CALGANG KITCHEN Organic beers and wines at the bar and a team table for delicious take out orders in eco-friendly containers. 194 Northgate One, 415.499.3501
CAFE GRATITUDE Raw The raw food and vegan samosas are hard to resist. Best to bring a group and sample lots of items on the menu. 2200 Fourth St, 415.824.4652, withthecurrent.com
LOTUS RESTAURANT American Bistro/ Creperie Lotus Restaurant has earned Hall of Fame kudos from Pacific Sun readers for nearly a decade. Family owned and operated, it serves up North Indian cuisine with vegan and vegetarian options in a casual pinktablecloth setting. 704 Fourth St, 415.456.5808, lotusrestaurant.com
MIKADO SUSHI This beautifully decorated, family owned Sushi spot has been open for about two years in its Terra Linda location. Serving both raw and cooked dishes, and 20 different choices of Sake. Dine in or stay home and get it delivered. 248 Northgate One, 415.446.5543
MULBERRY STREET PIZZERIA Italian Chef
Ted Rowe won first place in the Food Network Television Pizza Challenge with his Mushroom Lover’s Pizza—sautéed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce atop a fresh pizza crust. Located across from the Smith Ranch Road movie theaters, it’s a great place to grab dinner and a movie. 101 Smith Ranch Rd, 415.472.7272, mulberry-streetpizzeria.com
NAPOLI Italian Napoli Italian is a family owned and run restaurant with a unique craft-beer program. “Our wine list is not priced like the usual restaurant wine list, but at about store retail pricing,” says David Amet, son-in-law of the owner, and wine director, “wine was meant to be enjoyed, shared and consumed, not just praised in the bottle on the wall like a trophy.” So, they keep the prices down and the libations flowing. The food (Pizza and Pasta) is the result of taking East Coast style Italian fair and merging it with Marin and the bay area. 869 4th St, 415.459.3315
SABOR OF SPAIN Spanish Named Best Tapas/ Small Dishes restaurant in Marin by the Pacific Sun in 2006, this Spanish wine bar is a great place for a date or a big party. The gazpacho is world class here and a must-try. 1301 Fourth St, 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com
SAN RAFAEL JOE’S Italian Guido and Theresa Farina are now running this Marin institution, which has been famous for serving up sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. Great for large parties, the dining room holds 240. The Pacific red snapper meuniére and roast sirloin of beef are standouts and the menu prices are reasonable. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, srjoes.com
SEAFOOD PEDDLER Seafood A great place to seek out fresh seafood in a warm and inviting environment. Varieties of East and West Coast fish flown in daily. Dine indoors or out, or better yet, rent out the banquet room for a party. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.460.6669, seafoodpeddler.com
SOL FOOD Puerto Rican With south-of-theborder treats like yellow rice, beans, plantains and authentic Puerto Rican dishes, this tiny one-
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room eatery on Fourth Street just off Highway 101 can be hard to get into, but worth the wait. 732 Fourth St, and 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765, solfoodrestaurant.com
SUSHI TO DAI FOR Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular sushi spot can be a challenge, but patience will be rewarded with tasty and fresh sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 869 Fourth St, 415.721.0392
THERESA & JOHNNY’S COMFORT FOOD
American Cooking like Mom used to make, maybe even better. Drop by for eggs Benedict, tuna melts, coffee and some of the best milk shakes around. 817 Fourth St, 415.259.0182, theresa-and-johnnys.com
YET WAH Chinese Named after the founder’s wife (Yet refers to the moon, Wah to brightness), this beloved mainstay offers dim sum daily along with the traditional Chinese menu. Groove to live music in the Kung Fu Lounge. 1238 Fourth St, 415.460.9883, yetwahsanrafael.com
SAUSALITO
ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Father-andson chefs Pasquale and Alfredo Ancona offer handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti at this authentic Italian restaurant. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelinorestaurant.com
ARAWAN THAI RESTAURANT Thai Known for its consistently tasty Thai food and efficient, gracious service. For light fare try the imperial or Siamese rolls (vegetarian), or dig into the delicious pad thai noodles or garlic and pepper prawns. Arawan Thai has been a local favorite for over nine years. 47 Caledonia St, 415.332.0882, arawan.com
AVATAR’S Indian Looking for “the best meal of your life”? Let owner Ashok Kumar order for you. One-room casual dining for lunch and dinner. 2656 Bridgeway, 415.332.8083, eatavatar.com
CAFFÉ DIVINO Tuscan Locals come for the tasty pastas and salads, as well as coffee drinks, in a funky one-room setting. Free delivery in Sausalito. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, caffedivinosausalito.com
CIBO Cafe Husband and wife team Alfredo and Tera Ancona, offer a menu filled with tarts, croissants, cookies, paninis and soups. Every dish is made from scratch with local and seasonal products. 1201 Bridgeway, 415.331.CIBO. cibosausalito.com
FENG NIAN Chinese Busy at lunch and dinner, this spacious hangout has been a popular spot for wonton soup, potstickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat order the Szechwan crispy calamari. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300, fengnian.com
FISH Seafood It is all about the fresh fish here. Dine at one of the picnic tables or purchase fish to
cook at home. Casual and bring cash (and lots of it!). 350 Harbor Dr, 415.331.3474, 331fish.com
HORIZONS Seafood/American There isn’t a better place for waterfront deck dining with stunning views of the San Francisco skyline. Horizons is a favorite with locals and visitors. Enjoy lunch, dinner and brunch daily, featuring fresh seafood, salads, sandwiches, pasta and steak. Deck dining, valet parking and docking facilities available. A full bar serves draft beers and specialty cocktails and has an extensive wine selection. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, horizonssausalito.com
LE GARAGE French Escape the touristy Sausalito spots and grab brunch right on the water at this cherished site. The atmosphere is animated with light French music playing in the background (think Amélie). The Kobe Burger, though not as Parisian as the other menu items, is to die for. Also consider the much-adored croque-monsieur for under $10. Opt for indoor or outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistrosausalito.com
LIGHTHOUSE American Blueberry pancakes, omelets, perfectly cooked bacon and Danishinfluenced dishes are the draw to this locals breakfast spot. Be warned: it is a small space, so be prepared to grab a cup of coffee and wait for a table. 1311 Bridgeway, 415.331.3034
MURRAY CIRCLE American Enjoy the sun on the deck of this Cavallo Point restaurant.
Locals say they come back for the fresh seasonal ingredients like wild sturgeon and Wolfe Ranch quail that chef Joseph Humphrey cooks up. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com
PARADISE BAY American Enjoy the sun or dine under the stars at this waterfront restaurant. Patrons’ favorites are the organic beef sandwiches and fresh Maine lobster clubs. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, paradisebaysausalito.com
PICCOLO TEATRO Italian Translating into “Little Theater” in Italian, Piccolo Teatro used to be a theater before it became the exquisite restaurant it is today. Executive Chef Travis Flood spends weeks mastering each dish. Customers seem unanimous in finding the food quality, service, and ambience phenomenal. 739 Bridgeway Blvd. 415.332.0739, piccoloteatrodisausalito.com
POGGIO Italian A great place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a night out. Executive chef Peter McNee cooks up delicious Northern Italian cuisine using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby Poggio chef garden. Don’t miss the antipasti selection. Locals flock to Poggio in the morning for some of the best coffee around. Grab a seat at the outdoor patio and meet your neighbors. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com
SAYLOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAR California/ Mexican Marin’s first tequila bar offers over 100
tequila options. Nightly meal specials include chicken pot pie, roasted salmon, baby back ribs, and traditional meatloaf. There are frequent events like margarita night and flight night tequilatasting parties. The private dining room is perfect for large parties. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurantandbar.com
SCOMA’S Seafood The view of San Francisco has visitors flocking to this location and its romantic setting. The array of fresh seafood and meat dishes are as appetizing as the Italian pasta dishes. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomassausalito.com
STEPS OF ROME Italian This local landmark has evolved from a cafe into a full-service restaurant offering pasta, pizza, sandwiches and salad in an authentic Italian ambience. Find the green, white and red awning and you’re there. 1000 Bridgeway, 415.332.7660, caffetrieste.com
SPINNAKER Seafood Chef Phil Collins excels at preparing seafood, and it shows in the beautiful plate presentations. Set right on the water, this romantic spot is great for an evening occasion. The house seafood sampler shouldn’t be missed. The platter is filled with prawns, oysters and smoke salmon. 100 Spinnaker Dr, 415.332.1500, thespinnaker.com
SUSHI RAN Japanese Fresh, innovative small plates are just big enough to share, the traditional sushi is melt-in-your-mouth good and the wine,
cocktail and sake lists keep the pickiest barfly well satisfied. Don’t miss the miso glazed black cod with grilled blue lake beans. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com
TOMMY’S WOK Chinese S crupuously fresh ingredients and free-range chicken make the yellow coconut milk curry here divine. Nice atmosphere and good takeout. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.332.5818, tommyswok.com
WINSHIPS RESTAURANT American The morethan-four-decades-old nautical-themed restaurant is luring locals and tourists with hearty breakfasts and lunch options like tender fried calamari, clam strips, mussels and a giant prawn cocktail. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, winships.com
TIBURON
GINZA Japanese Whether you simply go for the volcano roll or indulge in the eight-course Omakase meal, the fresh ingredients coupled with the tremendous view of San Francisco keep this place busy, so make reservations or get there early. 41 Main St, 415.789.5123, ginzasushi-tiburon.com
GUAYMAS Mexican The touch-it-you’re-soclose city views and outdoor seating make it a great place to bring visitors on a warm summer night. Menu includes specialties like puerco macho—pork loin chop with grilled plantain, topped with an ancho chile, garlic and
onion sauce. Plus, the margaritas are some of the best in Tiburon. 5 Main St, 415.435.6300, guaymasrestaurant.com
MILANO Italian Located in the Cove Shopping Center, this family-owned neighborhood spot is known for its large portions, pasta and friendly service. A good place to take the kids—or catering option for your next birthday party The children will love the restaurant’s panini selection, which are served with fries or a salad. The large pizzas are big enough for the whole family. 1 Blackfield Dr, 415.388.9100
MING’S Chinese Hospitable service and large portions are just two of the reasons this familyrun business is a favorite. Try the sautéed mango chicken with rice and don’t miss the lunch specials. 1550 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.4312
NEW MORNING CAFE American Sit outside or indoors at this casual cafe. On a sunny morning, tables will be filled with locals enjoying the sun and extensive breakfast menu; lunch served as well. 1696 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.4315
ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL American If you’re old enough to remember Cheers on prime time, here is your dinner spot. There’s not a long bar, nor a bartender named Sam (he’s across the street); however, there is an undeniable neighborhood feeling in this one-room cottage dining room. 38 Main St, 415.435.1911
SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the prime spot for brunch on a lazy sunny Sunday, and its bar is the town’s historic watering hole, but Sam’s is also a great place for lunch or dinner. Enjoy trans-fat-free calamari, fresh fish, seasonal salads and pasta. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com
SERVINO RISTORANTE Italian With people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates raving about his pizza, Angelo Servino is doing something right. Some people come for the popular bar; some people come for the great food and friendly service; the titans of industry, it seems, opt for the pepperoni. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com
TIBURON GRILL California The atmosphere here is truly enchanting with two outdoor patios, two indoor fireplaces, and candlelit tables during the evening. No item is more than $20, including the steak, with entrées falling in the $14 to $18 range. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. but get a seat early as the place is a popular spot with locals. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, thelodgeattiburon.com
WEST MARIN
BLUE HERON INN Local A daily changing chalkboard menu features the fresh seasonal bounty of nearby organic farms. An outstanding staff creates a friendly and comfortable atmosphere, right by the wharf. 11 Wharf Rd, 415.868.1102
DRAKES BEACH CAFE American You can’t beat the view and the fresh local ingredients in the burgers, salads, tacos and soups at this casual spot (Inverness). Lunch service is order-at-the-ocunter. Walk on the beach after lunch. 1 Drakes Beach Rd, 415.669.1297, drakesbeachcafe.com
NICK’S COVE American Large windows open the 130-seat eatery to the picturesque Tomales Bay and Hog Island. Menu consists of the freshest available local seafood, oysters and bounty from nearby West Marin farms including Bodega Bay Dungeness crab cake and Tomales Bay clam chowder. Don’t miss brunch service, when the restaurant is a bit quieter, getting a table is easy and service is a standoutt (Marshall). 23240 Hwy 1, 415.663.1033, nickscove.com
OLEMA INN California One of the most charming settings around, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Sunday drive, or dinner. The menu includes imaginative combinations using regional and organic greens while the bar features a full wine list (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com
OSTERIO STELLINA California Whether strolling in from a day of hiking or celebrating a romantic anniversary, Osterio Stellina accommodates any occasion. The menu is Italian-inspired using organic, local ingredients. If you’re looking for something unusual try the goat shoulder, a favorite of locals and tourists alike (Point Reyes). 11285 Hwy 1, 415.663.9988, steriastellina.com
Team
Kara Reinke, MD
Christine Jacobson, MD
PARKSIDE CAFE American Most people know it as the ultimate breakfast spot (think Guatemalan scramble or waffle with blood orange–strawberry compote and whipped cream, alfresco) but lunch and dinners are great here too. standouts (Stinson). 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com
PINE CONE DINER American Vintage china and homemade curtains complement the eclectic but homey menu featuring local fare. A favorite for locals as well as tourists, bicyclists and motorcyclists (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, thepineconediner.com
SAND DOLLAR American Sit on the deck people watching and enjoy live music along with local barbecued oysters and New England clam chowder. Sunny deck is great in the afternoon (Stinson). 3458 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.0434, stinsonbeachrestaurant.com
STATION HOUSE CAFE American Stop in on weekends for the live music and enticing wine and beer lists. 11180 State Route One, 415.663.1515, stationhousecafe.com
SURFERS GRILL American The view doesn’t get better than this—nor does the surf salad. Built right out on Stinson Beach, this casual lunch spot offers up tasty fresh organic salads alongside corn dogs, burgers and fries (Stinson). Stinson Beach Park, Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, surfersgrill.com
Enjoy easy parking and great food at Marlowe in San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO
AME Pan-Asian Get dressed to impress and head over to the St. Regis Hotel for a remarkable PanAsian dining experience in this romantic, chic setting. It’s a bit pricy, but complete with a sashimi bar, 300-plus wine list, and flawless execution of dishes like the grilled lamb loin chops. 689 Mission St, 415.284.4040, amerestaurant.com
BOBOQUIVARI’S THE STEAK Steak/Seafood In the mood for surf and turf? Head out to Bobo’s and be sure to order the iron skilletroasted mussels, Dungeness crab, and of course, the steak dry-aged for four to six weeks. The proprietors claim it’s the only one of its kind on the West Coast. 1450 Lombard St, 415.441.8880, boboquivaris.com
CANTEEN Cali/French It’s not easy to get a seat in this nationally noted California-French restaurant, partly because of its reputation and partly because there aren’t many. Ever since the former Rubicon chef Dennis Leary turned a rundown downtown coffee shop into one of the best spots in the city, people have been lining up to sample the goods. 817 Sutter St, 415.928.8870, sfcanteen.com
HARRIS’ RESTAURANT Steak house A San Francisco institution for nearly a century. Wine Spectator ranked Harris’ as one of the nation’s top
ten steak houses. 2100 Van Ness Ave, 415.673.1888, harrisrestaurant.com
MAMACITA Mexican Chef Sam Josi draws in locals with authentic Mexican cuisine. The menu features a large number of small plates, such as the chicken chilaquiles, but save room for the churro dessert, served with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate. Reservations are recommended as weekends can have long waits and the bar is short on spots. 2317 Chestnut St, 415.376.1629, mamacitasf.com
MARLOWE California Anna Weinberg’s South of Market restaurant is a must-try destination. Chef Jennifer Puccio cooks what critic Michael Bauer referred to as his favorite, “Bay Area Burger,” but the fried Brussels sprouts can’t be overlooked. The fried outerleaves with a touch of Meyer lemon and sea salt are almost too-goodto-be-true. Save room for dessert, the bourbon ice cream is the perfect way to end one of Puccio’s meals. 330 Townsend St, 415.974.5599, marlowesf.com
PERBACCO Italian The seasonal Italian menu focuses on the northern Piemontese region, featuring handcrafted charcuterie, homemade pastas and regional dishes such as quail with persimmon and apple salad. 230 California St, 415.955.0663, perbaccosf.com
Buckelew Programs
Thursday, July 1st 6:30pm - 9:30pm $135 per person or $250/couple
4th of July weekend
Friday, July 2nd - Sunday, July 4th at the charming Escalle Winery 711 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur CA
PERRY’S American The San Francisco classic is back with Perry’s on the Embarcadero. The new location features beautiful views and classics like Cobb salad, French onion soup, cheesburgers and ribeye steak. 155 Steuart St, 415.495.6500, perryssf.com
PRESIDIO SOCIAL CLUB California Originally the barracks for enlisted men; menu features steaks, pork chops and fresh oysters. Throwing a party? Try the private room, which can accommodate 30 people. 563 Ruger St, 415.885.1888, presidosocialclub.com
UMAMI Japanese Named for the “fifth flavor,” Umami is a member of the Sustainable Restaurants family, owned by partners Nate Valentine, Chef Sam Josi, and General Manager Stryker Scales, who also own Mamacita in the Marina. One of the best happy hour spots in the city, every day before 7 p.m. enjoy half off bottles of wine, as well as, specially priced sushi and appetizers. 2909 Webster St, 415.346.3432, umamisf.com
YOSHI’S Japanese The 28,000-square foot, twostory restaurant and jazz club features robata and shabu shabu cooking by executive chef Shotaro Kamio. 1330 Fillmore St, 415.655.5600, yoshis.com
Mitchel Berman
MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP
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Mitchel Berman Cabinetmakers Inc., Cotati
Marin resident Mitchel Berman creates custom cabinetry and furniture for homes and business. “We are skilled at designing and fabricating cabinets for kitchens, bathrooms, home offices, libraries and closets as well as furniture and architectural woodwork,” says president Mitchel Berman. Briefly describe your business philosophy. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
What is your competitive edge?
We use state-of-the-art CNC technology and machinery as well as traditional woodworking tools and skills to do our work. We are organized, detail oriented and skilled in the art of cabinetmaking. We know what we are doing and we do it well.
What makes you excel at what you do?
I have a Master of Fine Arts degree and a high level of fine art and interior design knowledge. We communicate well with architects, interior designers and our clients to understand them and build exactly what they are looking for.
What makes your work worthwhile?
Every project is unique so we are always doing something new. We love it when a project is completed, our work is beautiful and the clients are delighted with the results so that we have contributed to a better quality of life for them.
“We created ThePearlExperts.com to pass on our knowledge and connections to our customers,” says owner Joe Laughlin. “We have substantially reduced prices from those of our competitors because with over 25 years of experience, we have several connections to the best pearls, at the best prices. We have exclusive deals with farms in Australia and Tahiti, as well as direct access to the freshwater and Akoya pearl market in Asia.”
Describe your business philosophy.
We offer top-of-the-line products at affordable prices. We designed our company to eliminate the middleman and pass on those savings to our customers.
Which product or service is your favorite?
ADVERTISER
I love the single pearl pendants that we designed. A single pearl dangling on a chain or cord shows style and class. It is an item that can be worn to a black tie event or with jeans to a baseball game. June is pearl month and we offer several items that are perfect for graduation and bridal gifts.
What part of your business drives you crazy?
Pearls are a very arbitrary product as far as pricing goes. We know we have the best product available at the best possible prices and it’s frustrating trying to explain that. If people compare our prices and our quality to what else is out there in the marketplace then I am sure we will have success.
Do you only sell online?
No, but we do host parties all over Marin. We can accommodate anyone interested in hosting a party or can have people come by our office to see the wide range of products we offer.
JOE LAUGHLIN, THEPEARLEXPERTS.COM, SAN RAFAEL, 415.472.2266, THEPEARLEXPERTS.COM
at 415-729-4456 | summithill@me.com | www.summithillbuilders.com CA Lic. #939456
Body By X Skill Development and Training Center
5786 Paradise Drive, Suite J, Corte Madera www.bodybyxonline.com 415-519-1331
A Fitness Facility For The Entire Family
• State-of-the-Art Fitness Equipment including equipment designed for kids • Personal Training & Memberships • Basketball Court • Basketball Mini-Camps • Zumba • Skills and Conditional Clinics for 3rd-5th grade Girls and Boys • Boot Camps • Aerial Yoga
GRAND OPENING • June 12, 2010
10 am to 4 pm, fun for the whole family
Join us to celebrate with an R&B band & classical trio, delicious food from local restaurants, Zumba & boot camp demos, basketball demo clinics with X, 15 minute free massages & raf e with great prizes!
Xavier
Jarrell McClinton
“Xavier’s knowledge, compassion and love for what he does make him a unique and extraordinary personal trainer and life coach”
—CAROLYN CARPENETI
Specializing in custom full cranial and partial hair replacements.
The answer to a breathable vacuum type hairpiece, worn by our client pictured below. Designed by Charlē to look as natural as a vacuum wig with the benefit of being cooler and more comfortable.
Sensitive solutions for hair loss due to: Alopecia Areata/female hereditary thinning/ Chemotherapy/radiation treatments/Trichotillomania
Offering human hairpieces for women, men and children . . . a hair studio
Toll Free: (888) 680-HAIR (4247) (Northern CA) San Rafael (415) 472-6369 (Southern CA) San Diego (760) 753-9060 chdewitt@aol.com www.charle.com BRAND NEW ON THE MARKET!
ThePearlExperts.com
…your online source for pearl jewelry
With over 25 years of experience in the pearl business, ThePearlExperts.com offer our knowledge and expertise to you, our customer, in the form of substantially lower prices on exceptional pearl jewelry.
Pearl Bracelet ($35)
We offer a wide variety of products to fit everybody’s budget. Pearls have long been the perfect gift for every occasion.
GREAT GRADUATION & BRIDAL GIFTS! thepearlexperts.com ~ (415) 462-0134 ~ San Rafael
Tahitian Pearl Earrings ($160) Freshwater
EBB AND FLOW
Life aboard Sausalito’s floating homes
BY DANIEL JEWETT PHOTOS TIM PORTER
A house that changes its elevation several times a day would unnerve most people, but for some, rising with the tides is the only way to live. “We rise and fall as much as six feet in a day,” says Larry Clinton, committee member and past president of the Floating Homes Association in Sausalito. “We spend part of each day floating.”
Indeed, “floating homes” (not houseboats) is the preferred term for the more than 400 structures on 11 docks in five marinas in Richardson Bay. After all, these days virtually none of the homes actually go anywhere, remaining bound to the pilings or spring lines that attach their concrete, Styrofoam, wood, fiberglass or steel hulls to the bay mud below.
“There is incredible diversity in the homes, with ‘palaces’ right next to handmade structures,” says Clinton, who moved to the area in 1982 when a friend’s boat became available and he fell in love with the sights, sounds and smells of waterfront living. “But there is still plenty of old construction to see.”
Each year Clinton and numerous volunteers from the association, which has about 300 member homes, invite the public to tour the docks and get a peek at their history and unique way of life (this year’s Floating Homes Tour is September 25).
“The tour is the single biggest thing we do,” says Clinton, estimating average attendance at around 1,200. “It helps us raise funds to buy things like pumps and equip our emergency trailer.”
Public curiosity seems high when it comes to the colorful docks lined with gardens and plants, where each home is wildly different than the next and where artists and hippies once lived a stone’s throw away from the mainstream. “It was a patchwork community and very much an alternate lifestyle,” Clinton says of houseboat life in the 1950s and ’60s. “Even now it is a very seductive lifestyle. You buy here as a lifestyle choice, not as an investment.”
In the ’70s the “houseboat wars” between boat dwellers and the numerous city, county, state and other agencies with regulatory authority brought enough pressure to force occupants to build docks and bring their homes up to code. “Many embraced it and many didn’t like it,” Clinton says of the changes; nevertheless, the homes then started to attract new kinds of residents, including professionals and families.
One man who dropped everything to embrace the artistic waterfront lifestyle is 20-year resident and nuclearengineer-turned-artist Jim Woessner. “I was a senior manager at PG&E and one day I just left my big house and job and started renting on Liberty Dock,” Woessner says. “My wife had difficulty with that decision but I never regretted it.”
Woessner eventually purchased a home on Issaquah Dock, earned a master’s in fine art, became a professional painter and more recently a sculptor, wrote three books of poetry, started an art teaching group called Threshold Creativity Workshops and formed the Bridgeway Artists salon and the Artists of Issaquah group (which holds an annual show in April).
“I wanted to create a venue for people on the waterfront to show work and discover who they are as artists,” Woessner says of of the Issaquah group, which featured 22 artists at this year’s show. “These surroundings attract people who have an openness and a willingness to explore.”
Neighborly camaraderie is something else he especially cherishes about life on the docks. “People have an idea that they want to live on the water, but that’s not enough to make you stay,” he adds. “You stay because of the community; my neighbors are my closest friends.” In fact, on a warm day he needs to leave the house half an hour early to have enough time to talk with other residents he meets.
Germana Fabbri & Coldwell Banker
LOVELY FAMILY HOME IN PERFECT SETTING
7 Emlin Place, Kentfield
Spectacular family home situated on a private cul de sac in the prestigious Del Mesa neighborhood of Kentfield. This elegant Georgian Colonial epitomizes quality design and craftsmanship. The traditional layout is rare; begin with the grand entrance highlighted by a sweeping staircase leading to the upstairs comprised of four to five bedrooms plus two bathrooms. The main level features a remodeled kitchen with white subway tile, wainscoting, plus newly sanded nine foot center island. Leading right from the sunny, spacious eat-in kitchen is the large family room with wood burning fireplace. Behind a closed door is the pantry and laundry room with washer/dryer. Formal dining room with French doors leads out to the elegant patio with multiple seating areas. The main level also consists of a perfectly sized home office (which could also be a bedroom), powder room, large, elegant living room with fireplace—perfect for entertaining. Beautifully landscaped grounds ooze southern charm and sophistication. Located in the Priory, award winning Bacich, Kent and Redwood school district. Walk and bike to school and shops. Old World charm and gracious living in the most sought after neighborhood.
Offered at $2,499,000
Germana Fabbri Previews Property Specialist (415) 302-6985
350 Bon Air Center, Ste. 100 Greenbrae, CA 94904
DRE # 01417827
Frank Howard Allen realty agent Charlie Martin lived on Issaquah Dock for eight years when he first moved to Marin, and prospective Sausalito clients ask him all the time about life on the water and what it takes. “That lifestyle is not for everybody, but for those who come to Sausalito it is hard to (resist),” he says. “It is a great community out there with a built-in neighborhood watch; you can have all the community or all the privacy you want.”
PRIVATE, SERENE HILLTOP RETREAT
Close to downtown with San Francisco and Bay views, this elegantly remodeled 3BD/2.5BA Mill Valley home offers an integrated entertainment system. All the rooms are orientated towards the view, and provide a uid indoor outdoor experience. Offered at $1,695,000.
Challenges include the berth rents, which can exceed $800 a month and are not tax-deductible, the long walk to the car, parking in a semipublic lot, not owning the ground your house is on and the fact that only two lenders even offer loans for purchase of these homes. But for those eager to jump aboard, the 19 homes being offered at press time were priced from $249,000 to $975,000, and one sold in March for $600,000—$25,000 below asking price.
THE BEST OF SAUSALITO
1907 Folk Victorian re ects the best of Sausalito. This 4BD/3BA home enjoys views of San Francisco and the Bay. Having just undergone a major remodel, this home has all the modern day conveniences, while keeping with the original architectural harmony. Offered at $1,699,000.
Elegant and Gracious Mediterranean Villa
Newly constructed in 2001. Located near downtown Sausalito. Exquisite views of San Francisco and Bay available from every room. Spacious
bath. Large 2-car garage a plus! Timeless European beauty complements the state-of-the-art amenities and high-end
provide the utmost in privacy. 137crescentave.com.
Magical Property!!
views of Angel Island, San Francisco, & the Bay. Not to be believed!!! This fabulous home has a true organic feel with an open floor plan. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, high ceilings, hardwood floors, granite countertop in kitchen & solar-friendly roof. Completely renovated in 2004. Within minutes to downtown Sausalito. Spectacular views from every room! You can sit back and enjoy the splendor of Marin County. www.3marion.com $1,895,000
Sun-Filled Contemporary
Three bedrooms, 2 baths, downtown Sausalito! COMPLETELY RENOVATED IN 2004 with high-end finishes. Stunning master suite with bath, Italian vanity, limestone floors & fireplace. Top floor with loft-like feel, water views and deck. Gourmet kitchen with marble countertops, wine cooler, center island. Outdoor pool and spa. 2-car garage. Private and serene – a great Marin retreat! www.518spring.com $1,249,000
Expensive Bay Views
with unique architectural designs. Charming light fi lled 2bd/2ba home. Lots of glass & skylights. Hardwood fl oors. Living room with solarium and deck. Free standing wood burning fireplace. Remodeled bathrooms and kitchen. Views of Alcatraz, Angel Island & Treasure Island. 8x8 ft. space for wine cellar or storage. Attached garage. A few blocks to the waterfront and downtown Sausalito. www.75crescent.com. $1,149,000
Tiburon. Premiere estate in one of Tiburon’s most exclusive neighborhoods. This custom home boasts lavish interiors, spectacular gardens, and aweinspiring 360 views of the entire Bay Area. Retractable sunroof, spacious roof top terrace, and elevator enhance the ultimate in luxury lifestyle. 6 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms.
Exclusively offered at $13,950,000
Sonoma. This extraordinary 5-bedroom, 5.5 bath custom wine estate is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, offering the finest craftsmanship, distinctive architectural details, panoramic bay views, spacious outdoor entertaining areas, and a revenue producing 6.5 acre vineyard. Expansive living room with imported marble flooring, chef’s kitchen, first level master suite, and limestone tiered terrace. $5,450,000
Mill Valley. Architecturally designed to capture unparalleled views from every angle, this 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath home boasts soaring ceilings, an abundance of natural light, & magnificently stylized interiors. From the Ferrari inspired gourmet kitchen to the gracious family room, this home has been designed with the highest grade custom materials. The master retreat features stylish master bath, & light- filled library. $2,195,000
.6 acre, west-side development potential with views from Mt Tam through Golden Gate Bridge & SF. Existing home is 3 bd, 2 ba … $2,395,000
LISTED
Spacious, sunny, 3,500± sq. ft., contemporary, Mt Tam view, beautiful kitchen, large master with fireplace, pool, spa, lawn, 4bd, 3.5 ba... $1,995,000
±.5 acre vacant lot in multi-$ million home location with approved plans for 4,500± sf home with San Francisco views… $1,950,000
1-story condo, 6-unit complex, beaut remod w/ views of Mt Tam/GGB/SF skyline, study with fireplace, large master with sitting area, 2 bd, 2 ba . . . $1,595,000
$3,495,000
Quiet, private & level 1 ac (-), top-of-the-Woodlands, pool, lawn, Mt Tam, beautiful contemporary with commercial kit, 5 bd, 3.5 ba…
Wonderful 4800± sf home on over 0.5 ac. w/ stun GGB & SF views, 5 bd + separate 1 bd au pair, office, large level lawn, decks, hot tub, 6 bd, 5.5 ba… $3,450,000
West Shore waterfront, panoramic views from Golden Gate Bridge to Mt Tam, ±4000 sf, huge master, decks, dock, 4 bd, 4.5 ba… $2,995,000
±3500 sf contemporary with beam ceiling, hardwood floors, San Francisco Skyline & Bay views, 5 bd, 3 full & 2 half ba…
$2,499,000
Stun renovation. Eleg indooroutdoor living betw main hse/pool house. Over half ac. Pool, spa. 4 bd, 3.5 ba + 1 bd, 1 ba pool house…
$4,475,000
4,000+ sf on Lagoon waterfront, gorgeous remodel, wonderful indoor-outdoor living, top-floor master suite, 5 bd, 4 ba… $4,150,000
Beautiful New England-style luxury with timber frame construction, San Francisco Bay views, 5 years old, ±1 acre, level lawn, 4 bd, 4.5 ba...
$3,500,000
Apprx 1 ac, mostly level, west side with Mt Tam, Golden Gate Bridge & San Francisco skyline views, water’s edge, boat house & dock, rare potential… $11,950,000 San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate Bridge & Mt. Tam views, stunning ±1400 sf master suite, 5bd (4 en suite), 5.5 ba… $7,500,000
New interior design, grt rm with tall windows & massive skylight, expansive vws GGB to Mt Tam, new master w/ spa bath, 4 bd, 4 ba… $5,800,000
3 Waterfront lots, west side, Mt Tam through San Francisco skyline views... $4,500,000 - $5,000,000
Rare vacant lot in the Woodlands. Mostly level 2.8 acres, gated, bay view, approved plans for 9,300± sf house and pool… $4,500,000
Extraordinary 6.8 ac compound, deeded & tideland waterfront, tennis, pool, gardens, walking trails, mostly level grounds, patios, decks, 5 bd, 5 full baths... $9,992,000
Gated, private, panoramic views from SF Skyline to Mt Tam, approx 5000 sf, lavish indoor-outdoor living, pool, 5 en suite bd… $9,750,000
7+ acres, beautiful grounds and tidelands, pool, dock, boat garage, separate guest house and office, 4 bd, 5.5 ba… $7,995,000
Rare gated family compound with 2 separate homes, ±10,000 square feet, huge patio & 60' lap pool, 10 bd, 13.5 ba… $19,500,000
Barry Levinson Estate. ±10,000 sf on ±2 level acres, pool, guest quarters, separate studio, 7 bd, 8 full & 3 half ba… $14,850,000
Rare ±7.5 ac level parcel with tidelands, grassy meadow & ±300-ft sandy beach waterfront. Potential for gated estate… $13,950,000
Approximately 6,000 square feet of best-in-its-class, stunning contemporary space, on nearly 1.2 acres with gated drive, double infinity-edge salt water pool and spa, sliding walls of glass that open to the outdoors, patio with fireplace, San Francisco bay views, beautiful gardens and large level lawn. Exquisite finish detail, smooth-flowing floor plan, hi-tech Lutron lighting, alarm and video surveillance and stereo surround systems. Entry level with three-car garage and parking for an additional twelve cars, two bedrooms (one en-suite), two full baths, theater and den with fireplace and wet bar. Main level with the stunning great room, the master suite and two additional bedrooms, two full baths and the central family area with fireplace and access to the adjacent pool, p atio and lawn area or the view-side terrace with overhead heater. Newly completed and ready to show, the most stunning contemporary now on the market in any price range. Five bedrooms, five full baths… $7,485,000
For
Sited on the western-most promontory of Belvedere Island with the Bay directly below and unobstructed views from Mount Tamalpais through Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge and the entire San Francisco skyline, this property truly exemplifies the “belvedere.” Warren Callister designed, west-side waterfront with five bedrooms, four full and three half-baths in the main residence and separate one-bedroom, one-bath guest apartment with kitchen and living room. Large formal living and dining rooms with French door access to view-side terraces and three level lawn areas, intimate library with fireplace, office with built-ins and Mt. Tam and water views, and top-floor master suite with his and her baths and dressing areas and private view-side terrace. Five fireplaces, three-car enclosed garage and additional parking for seven cars, and gated access. Approximately 9,500 square feet of covered space, including the main residence, garage and guest quarters, and six bedrooms, five full and three half-baths, Belvedere prominence and world-coveted views $27,500,000
For more
the sign of luxury
Our past tells a story of 100 years of success, experience, and trust. As for the future, the signs ahead couldn’t be better.
55 Ridge Avenue, Mill Valley
Designed by renowned architect Lorcan O’Herlihy, and recipient of 2007 A.I.A. award, this 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath contemporary masterpiece boasts commanding views of the Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and Muir Woods.
www.PouliotProperties.com Exclusively Offered at $3,995,000
Renovated and restored craftsman details integrating the finest of materials, with modern amenities and systems. Light filled and airy interior features a fitted gourmet kitchen, open floor plan with a rustic original stone hearth and chimney.
www.PouliotProperties.com Price Upon Request
Nan Allen and Link Allen
3 Bellevue, Belvedere
13 Heron, Mill Valley
LocatedonCovetedCorinthianIslandanddirectlyonthe
Located on Coveted Corinthian Island and directly on the Belvedere waterfront 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths shingled residence features fabulous San Francisco to Mount Tamalpais views. www.3Bellevue.com. Exclusively Offered at $2,995,000
Nan Allen
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST
415.828.1500 • DRE #0082366
nallen@pacunion.com
This exclusive 4BR/3.5BA Mediterranean home, built by an award-winning developer, offers an open and convenient floor plan, a landscaped backyard surrounded by gorgeous oaks, a grand staircase, and beautiful Bay and San Francisco views. www.13HeronDr.com. Exclusively Offered at $2,695,000
Link Allen
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST
415.302.8877 • DRE #01378539
lallen@pacunion.com
www.PacUnion.com • 60 Belvedere Dr. Mill Valley, CA 94941
10
Stanton Way, Mill Valley
Traditional yet Edgy 5BR/4BA quality home in sunny Scott Valley, completed in 2009, enjoys an open layout, soaring ceilings, ebonized oak floors and magnificent details throughout. Sited on a beautiful ½ lot, this approximately 3729 square foot home is blocks away from Top Mill Valley Schools, boasts a quick SF commute and is close to nearby Open Space and Scott Valley Swim and Tennis Club. This architect/designer’s dream home is sure to please the most discerning buyer. True Wow Factor! www.10StantonWay.com | Exclusively Offered at $2,295,000
COMING SOON: In Tiburon: 4BR/4BA, 3000+ square foot home with huge flat yard plus in 1BR in-law unit. Great commute location!
Linda Tull
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST www.PacUnion.com
415.233.0125 • DRE #01703883
Linda.Tull@pacunion.com • 60 Belvedere Dr. Mill Valley, CA 94941 • MyMarinHomes.com
[CIRCA 1929]
A VIEW UP THROCKMORTON
OBVIOUSLY—TO MILL VALLEY RESIDENTS FOR SURE— this photo is of Throckmorton Avenue looking up toward the Sequoia Theater. The year is 1929 and the Sequoia was about to open. Now a cineplex, it is still showing first run movies. At right in the photo, Purity Meats occupied the space where Tyler Florence now sells kitchenware. And located just past the Sequoia was Mill Valley’s Studebaker dealership. On the left, as the sign indicates, sat the offices of the ubiquitous PG&E—as we say, some things never change. Note however, this would soon become—and still is—the location of Mill Valley Market. Beyond that is the current location of Mill Valley Flowers; then comes the iron railing that kept pedestrians from falling into Mill Creek, and still does. On a sad note: 1929 was the year of the disastrous fire that destroyed 117 homes and, but for a sudden shift in 60 mph winds, could have decimated all of Mill Valley’s downtown. —JIM WOOD
